The Actions That Follow
by Skippy Jones
Summary: A righteous man who has lost his way reconnects with a headstrong woman who's looking for meaning, and they soon come to find purpose in each other. A slice-of-life AU that reimagines iconic moments and characters into a new context.
1. Prologue

The Actions That Follow

A Samurai Jack AU

-PROLOGUE-

A swift strike to the abdomen, and the boy fell to the floor.

"That's the match, Jack moves on to the final round!" hollered the martial arts instructor, who moved to raise the victor's arm.

His black hair in a traditional top knot, Jack approached his fallen opponent, helped him to his feet, and they bowed to each other. The loser rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, then the two boys grinned at each other. Jack then went to meet his parents, who were cheering him on in the stands. The parents of all the students enrolled in the youth martial arts class to watch their children compete in a scrimmage tournament.

Jack Senshi was arguably the best student in the class, which his performance in their monthly brackets reflected that, yet the boy remained humble. He was polite and friendly to everyone, eager and attentive towards his sensei's teachings, and did his best to assist his classmates. Having been homeschooled by his parents in a traditional Japanese household, Jack was raised on old bushido ideals of honor and righteousness. His parents brought him up on a modest income, raising him with love and care. They taught him how to be respectful to others and to always do what was right (although he often found himself contemplating what the right thing actually was). Although he never attended public school, he was not a sheltered child. His parents trusted him to never stray too far, but he liked to explore around the neighborhood and occasionally meet people; he sometimes would play with kids his age, but usually he wandered about on his own. A boy of eight years old, Jack's careful upbringing instilled in him a quiet maturity well beyond his years, and he got along with kids and adults alike.

But not everyone Jack has ever met has had good intentions, as he's learned on multiple occasions. He still had to deal with playground bullies, who pilfered his beloved ball one day until Jack outsmarted them and took it back. It would be a couple weeks before he would ever go back to the playground again.

A much more impactful incident would be when he went to the park with his family one evening, and they were approached by a couple of hooded men. They growled orders to hand over valuables, and revealed the sharp instruments they had been concealing. Jack's Mother hugged him protectively, but his Father calmly stepped forward.

He spoke; "You have chosen this path, life works in strange ways. I will give you a new choice. Leave here now and live. Or stay, and face your destiny."

The men stood there, looking both shocked and confused, until one sprang into action and lunged at Jack's Father. He swatted the assailant's blade away and sent him flying forward, landing with a skid. The other attacker could hardly register what happened to his partner before Jack's Father was hitting him with a left hook, followed by a gut punch and an uppercut that put him in a complimentary position on the ground. Soon after, Jack's parents enrolled him in the local community center's youth karate class. Jack was disappointed at first that his Father wasn't going to teach him himself, but his Father explained that he had to worry about providing for is family.

And so, Jack excelled in his new extracurricular for the next couple years, garnering the praise of his instructor and his peers...all except for one.

One of his fellow students seemed to scorn him for his reputation, and would harshly rebuke him whenever he would try to be friendly. She was easily the next best student behind Jack, and she was his opponent in the final match.

Ashi.

Jack could see her sitting in the stands with her Mother, awaiting the next match. Ashi gave him a cold look whenever their gazes would meet, but that was nothing compared to the vibe he got from her Mother. She looked like a much older version of Ashi with longer hair, and cold was apparently the natural look of her expression; not once had Jack ever seen her crack a smile, even so much as a slight grin to anyone, even her daughter. Jack liked to watch the other children run to their parents after their matches. While he hated that their tournaments sometimes got competitive, he felt better seeing his opponents showered with praise or comfort, whatever the results. But he never saw that with Ashi's Mother. After every match, Ashi would sternly walk back to her Mother and receive no form of affection. Instead she always gave some sort of critique on Ashi's performance, nitpicking little things she did wrong; even when Ashi won, which was more often than not.

Although, she never won the whole bracket, that was always Jack's place. He always felt a little bad seeing her be scolding for losing, but he knew it would be worse if he just threw the match on her behalf. It wouldn't make her dislike him any less. Still, he hated to be instrumental to someone else's suffering, even if it wasn't really his fault.

But those feelings had to be pushed aside for now, as the instructor called out for the two competitors to step into the ring. Jack's parents wished him luck, and he stepped onto the mat.

/

This was the one.

This would finally be the day she beat him. For two years they had been going at it in the finals, battling for supremacy of their karate class; and every time, HE emerged victorious. It drove her mad.

Sure, she was still by far one of the best students in the class. No one else could beat her, but that didn't make her feel any better. Second best wasn't good enough, at least not to her Mother. Perfection was all that mattered to her, in anything Ashi or her six sisters did. Having been in strict private schooling all their lives, their Mother gave them just enough freedom to pick an extracurricular activity they wanted to do, but on the grounds that they excel in it. Her sisters had gone with things like horseback riding, dancing, or playing instruments; besides their hairstyles, it was they're only individuating traits, since Ashi and her sisters were septuplets. As such, they were treated as a collective most of the time, and did everything together. Their chosen activities were the only things they did by themselves.

But Ashi didn't know what she wanted to do. All she ever looked forward to was the rare times when she could get away from her stifling family. Occasionally, her Mother would leave for a few days to parts unknown, she never told them where, But Ashi had ideas. She often thought of her Father, who left before she and her sisters were born. Maybe that's who her Mother was leaving to see? Not that she would tell them anyway.

But when her Mother was gone, Ashi and her sisters were left in the care of one of her "business associates"; Ashi never knew what they did, only that her temporary guardian was an extremely large, built woman. She never dressed very feminine either, you might think she was a man at first glance. She showed about the same level of interest in the girls as their absent Father. She lay on the couch most days and watch television, only moving occasionally to feed the girls, wake them, or put them to bed. Ashi wondered if her real Father would've been the same way.

Those days, with no parental figure lording over her, Ashi would lay down in the backyard, feeling the blades of grass caress the sides of her face and body. Gentle touches she wasn't provided elsewhere. The breeze kissed her face, and the sun bathed her in a warm glow. While her sisters played with dolls and other toys, Ashi cherished her brief moments of solitude. But she was hard pressed to find an activity that incorporated that kind of relaxation (yoga wasn't something competitive; her Mother would never go for it), so instead she played off her frustration and discovered martial arts. It was a healthy way for Ashi to blow off steam, and it was something she could impress her Mother with. It was something she could be good at.

And she was. For her first year of the youth karate class, she dominated the other students. She thought this would make her stand out in her Mother's eyes, and for a while, she seemed...satisfied with Ashi. She was pleased that Ashi had finally found somewhere she could be the strongest; weakness, after all, was unforgivable. Failure would not be accepted. Everything was finally looking up for Ashi.

Then he came.

The boy with the top knot: Jack. When the instructor introduced him to the class, she didn't think much of him at first; he just looked like a kid who wanted way too much to be a samurai or something. But she watched as the days went on, how he readily soaked up the instructor's teachings. She saw him doing well, and she began to feel threatened. This random kid comes waltzing in one day, two loving parents by his side, and suddenly he's top student. Just wait until their first scrimmage tournament, THEN he'd learn his place.

But much to her disbelief, the opposite happened. Ashi faced Jack in the finals of their first monthly bracket, and lost. She was devastated. And her Mother wasn't about to offer any support, only pick apart Ashi's performance more than she already would.

The worst part about it was that everyone loved him. His parents were visibly supportive, their peers showered him with praise, even the instructor made his affection towards Jack apparent. Everyone used to look to her as the star pupil, but now she was pushed to the wayside by this goody-two-shoes. He was so pleasant and humble about all of it, it disgusted her that anyone could be so perfect; she was determined to knock him down a peg or two.

Things had gone on like this for at least a year now; Ashi fought her hardest to be the best and impress her Mother again, only to be beaten once again by the new kid. All of her sisters were still the best at what they did, but Ashi was always runner up. It made her feel weak, and she hated it.

But that was all about to change; this was their final scrimmage tournament of the season, and if she came out on top, she would be the top ranked student until next season. She had never trained harder in her life. This was her moment.

With a stern glance from her Mother, she took a deep breath, and stepped onto the mat.

/

"That's the match, we have our winner!" hollered the instructor.

Ashi lied there on her back, completely unsure of what to do next. All of her training, her progress, her passion; all of it amounted to nothing when pitted against that boy. He had it all: two parents that loved him, the support of his mentors and peers, and now the title. And Ashi, she had nothing.

Suddenly, a hand reached over her, offering to help her up. It was Jack, who smiled sheepishly, trying to be a good sport. Instead of taking it, she slapped it away and got up on her own. His smile turned into a frown as she glared at him.

For the first time in a while, Jack spoke to her, "Why do you hate me?"

Ashi was taken aback at first, but then regained her composure. "Someone has to", she replied coldly, and walked away, leaving Jack to ponder what she just said.

He couldn't think for long before his parents approached him, congratulating him on his victory. His Father lifted Jack onto his shoulders, and his Mother told him they were going to have a special dinner to celebrate. Jack was happy to hear this, but couldn't ignore Ashi's dejected expression as he and his parents left the building; he hated watching someone else be miserable, and wished that he could be a friend to her. Similarly, Ashi hated watching Jack be carried around in praise of his victory; it made the loss that much harder to accept. Now she would have to wait until next season to get another chance.

Both children left the tournament feeling unfulfilled, and neither knew that this would be the last time they'd see each other for a long time.

-END PROLOGUE-

/


	2. Return of AKu

-Chapter 1-

Not long after completing his second year of the youth martial arts program, Jack was drawing pictures in the living room of his family home. Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door, went to answer it.

Jack opened the door to see a tall man in a dark suit. The man had suave black hair that lined his face, styled in a way that it looked like he had three big black antlers on his head. He also had great, red eyebrows, and a matching goatee, which Jack thought was odd.

The man looked down at Jack and flashed a toothy grin. "Hello there, little one! Is your Father home?" the man spoke loudly in a drawn-out fashion, carefully articulating every word. Jack was a bit perturbed at this point; everything about this man gave off a shady vibe.

It was at this point Jack noticed his Father walk into the room, and the face he made upon seeing the man seemed to verify Jack's unease. He went back to drawing as his Father spoke carefully, "What are YOU doing here? What do you want?".

The man frowned, "Oh, come ooon! Is that anyway to speak to an old friend? Especially one who's been away for soooo loooong. Didn't you miss me?"

"Of course not! I had hoped I would never see you again, and your sentence assured me of that! How did you get out so soon?"

The man stood up straight, polishing the extravagant blue ring he was wearing on his suit jacket. "Good behavior, of course! Even in such oppressive conditions, treated like a caged animal, my impeccable inner virtue shined through. They soon realized that I was put away under such...overblown accusations."

"Nonsense!" Jack's Father shot back, "What you've done is deplorable, and your presence here is not welcome!"

"Ohhhh but I must insist, old friend! After all, we have important matters to discuss..." the man said smug, while revealing an envelope from his suit jacket. Jack's Father looked at the man cautiously, then noticed Jack's presence. "Son", Jack looked up from his drawing, "why don't you take your art into your room? You'll have an easier time focusing if you're away from our...conversation." Jack picked up his paper, pencils, and walked up the stairs just as his Mother was stepping down from them.

He closed the door and propped on his bed, pencil in hand. Unable to continue what he was drawing initially, Jack grabbed a fresh sheet of paper and started with the color black. He drew a tall figure with pointed shoulders that tapered at the bottom into a circular shadow. He had three horn-like protrusions on both sides of its head, the top ones looking like antlers. Then Jack put a green circle between the horns as its face, with two piercing eyes and a wide, toothy grin; it looked like an oni mask, only with great, flaming eyebrows, and a fiery goatee to match.

Unsure of what to name him, Jack was otherwise satisfied with the menacing figure he had created. Downstairs, it sounded like things were getting heated, which caused Jack to frown at the drawing. It was obviously inspired by the man who was now terrorizing his home. How could somebody do this? It just wasn't right, somebody had to do something about this...evil. But who? What could possibly stand against a force of pure darkness, bent on chaos and suffering? He would have to think on this one...

The next few days his parents had been very secretive. He would often walk in on them murmuring to each other, only to stop once they noticed him come in. They don't speak like they usually do during meals, and the food is lackluster. Some nights Jack would get up to use the bathroom and see the light on under his parents' room door. He never saw them like this, and worried about what it all meant.

His fears were realized when his parents revealed awful news. Apparently, the block was being bought out by a large corporation, and there was nothing anyone who lived there could do about it. The home his Father had spent many months building, and that Jack called home for his whole life, was to be torn down along with the trees and houses surrounding it. To make matters worse, Jack's parents explained to him that their living situation would be too uncertain for the time being, so they felt the best thing for Jack would be to move in with his uncle. Jack vehemently protested their decision, stating that he didn't care where they lived as long as they were together. But his Father insisted that their troubles would not become Jack's, and so they wanted him to live elsewhere.

Jack was heartbroken, but his Mother assured him that they would see each other again. Until then, Jack's Father presented him a small charm that resembled a katana, attached to a necklace; "Though we will be separated, we will always be with you, here", as he pointed to Jack's chest. "This charm is to remind you to always rely on the power of righteousness. The ideals you hold determine who you are", he added. His Mother gave him a warm hug, "Never forget, we love you. We're so proud of you." Jack smiled through his tears, then there was knock on the door. His new guardian was here.

An interesting man, Jack's Uncle prided himself with his sense of adventure, and loved travelling so much that he lived in an RV. Jack wondered how this was any better than moving place to place with his parents, but his uncle explained that they wanted him to stay with someone who could consistently provide for him, which they felt they wouldn't be able to do. This made Jack feel as if he were a burden at first, but he dismissed that feeling and trusted his parents' wishes. Besides, his uncle was a worldly and intellectual man, so Jack would have little trouble learning new things.

But his parents, what would they do after he was gone?

After a tearful goodbye, Jack got settled in at his new...home. Being in a moving vehicle most of the day was going to take some getting used to, but he was determined to make the best of his situation, and continue to cultivate himself so that one day, he could save his parents from their suffering. He wanted to be their hero. He wanted to be A hero. But he would be a hero with a code, like bushido. He could be a Samurai.

Samurai Jack. It had a nice ring to it.

Not long after they got on the road, Jack pulled out his drawing tools and got to work. Drawing while driving made for a lot of smearing and smudging, but eventually his vision came to life. A noble warrior stood out from the page, wearing a white Gi, with a strong chin, and black hair in a traditional top knot. But he needs a weapon to fight evil with, what would he use, Jack wondered. He held his chin, then his hand drifted down his neck to the chain hanging around it. He looked at the sword charm, and immediately knew what to do.

A sword, bestowed upon his Father by the Gods, was the only weapon that could harm the evil demon, was used to seal it away for many years. But now he's returned and the sword has been passed down to Jack, charged with ridding the world of the evil demon once and for all. But first, he must travel the world and acquire new skills, in preparation for his climactic clash.

As Jack pondered his fantasy life, his travels with his Uncle took him all across the country. His uncle spared no effort in teaching Jack everything about the world, introducing him to people he knew from all over. For 15 years, they traveled the world; Jack learned new skills, while still honing his martial arts prowess every chance he got. But in the back of his mind, he never forgot about the man who set those events in motion.

As Jack got older, he understood just how bad the man was. Akio Kurasawa, also known by the pseudonym, AKu, was beginning to become a prevalent figure in the business world, as Jack's Uncle explained to him. He was convicted many years ago for committing major insurance fraud, resulting in many people being either killed or seriously injured. He almost got away with it, but Jack's Father, an old acquaintance, blew the whistle on him. After he got out of prison, AKu made a point to take revenge on Jack's Father, buying out the entire neighborhood just to force his family from their home. Jack's parents were now displaced in their own neighborhood, struggling to make ends meet. As AKu grew his economic empire, Jack's Father eventually went to work the only place he could: one of AKu's own warehouses. A well-built man, Jack's Father had little trouble with the job at first. But the years dragged on, he got older, and the workload got heavier (most likely a recommendation by a particular executive); Jack's Father had an increasingly difficult time in his new position, and there was no way out. His Mother had a few odd jobs here and there, but it wasn't enough to get them out of their financial dilemma.

Not only did he finally have a name for the evil demon he had created, but Jack now had the motivation to work even harder towards helping his parents. He also had new inspiration for his story, after his uncle took him to a sci-fi movie; it was about a man who was flung forward in time, where the world was now a bleak dystopia ruled by an oppressive tyrant. The man sought a time machine to get back to the past, and undo the evil that was the future he was stuck in. As Jack thought about it, throwing someone forward in time was something "AKu" would definitely do if he was backed into a corner. And that's exactly what he did to Samurai Jack.

His power left unchecked for millennia, the immortal demon ruled over the world with an iron fist, until the Samurai returned to find what had become of his home. Now hunted by all sorts of aliens, robots, bounty hunters, and alien robot bounty hunters, the Samurai must find a way to get back to the past, and undo the future that is AKu.

What a great idea, he thought; one that served as inspiration for how he would live his life, and how he would eventually do something about Akio Kurasawa. He wanted to help everyone who was suffering, his parents first and foremost; but for some reason, he also thought of Ashi. He could only imagine how unhappy she still was, and he wanted to save her from that too, even if she didn't like him.

Clutching the sword charm around his neck, Jack knew is quest would be tough; this wasn't some fairy tale, real life is serious. But he smiled to himself regardless, because he knew that righteousness would always prevail.

/

Ashi's Mother was acting very strange.

Only two days after she lost in the tournament, Ashi was shriveling under her Mother's constant look of disapproval. Ashi herself was still reeling from it, but she felt even worse now. Not only was she the youngest of her seven sisters, but she was now the weakest. It's a miracle her Mother hasn't disowned her, she thought. Surprisingly, however, her Mother's negative attention only lasted those two days, after which she seemed to have forgotten it completely.

It all started when they were driving one of her sisters to soccer practice, and suddenly her Mother's cell phone rang. She grabbed it from the middle compartment of the driver's seat, checked the caller ID, and dismissed it. A couple moments later, it rang again; Ashi's Mother checked it, rolled her eyes, and dismissed it again. Not long after, they called a third time, and her Mother finally answered. She growled, "Listen! If your number isn't listed in my phone then you should not be calling this number!" The voice couldn't be made out from where the girls where sitting, but Ashi could see from the backseat, her Mother's face drained of color in the rearview mirror. She spoke slowly, "What… What do you want? How did you get this number?" The mysterious caller spoke for a minute or so, as Ashi's Mother looked on in a blank stare. Finally, she snapped back to attention with fury in her eyes as she bellowed into the phone, startling the girls, "ABSOLUTELY NOT! YOU THINK YOU CAN GO AWAY FOR ALL THESE YEARS, GET YOUR ASS BUSTED, AND EXPECT TO COME CRAWLING BACK!? AND ALL THIS TIME, YOU DIDN'T EVEN CARE THAT YOU HAD—"

"MOTHER!" Ashi shouted from the backseat, noting the stopped cars in front of them that her Mother was clearly unaware off. She slammed the brakes and the whole van screeched as it slowly came to a stop, merely an inch before the sedan in front of them. The passengers lurched forward, and Ashi finally understood why they wore those uncomfortable straps in the car. Her Mother exhaled after a moment, then spoke to the caller through gritted teeth; "I have to call you back, but this discussion isn't over...", and she hung up.

After that, it was like Ashi and her sisters didn't exist. Their Mother ran her errands completely unaware of the girls' presence. Usually she kept them on a tight leash, calling them out if they strayed even a little. But now she didn't acknowledge them once, although she was clearly furious over what happened in the car. Afraid to become the object of her aggression, the girls stayed in line regardless, but also out of familiarity, having done it for so long.

Ashi, though, felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Her Mother's terrifying gaze was now fixed firmly in front of her, no longer on Ashi's failure. The ride home that evening was quiet, only the sound of passing cars. She watched the streetlights flash by as the van rode down the parkway, and sighed comfortably. This was the most relaxed she had felt in a long time, possibly ever; she quietly wondered if she would be able to lay out in the backyard tomorrow, and felt giddy at the thought of it. That night, she slept like a baby.

The next morning, Ashi awoke and immediately felt that something was off. The fact that she woke up on her own, not by the shrill sound of her Mother's yelling, was already strange, so she got up to investigate. She hopped off her bed, put on her ladybug slippers (she picked them out herself), and stepped out of the room as her sisters were just starting to wake up.

Ashi stepped carefully down her house's stairs and quietly stepped through the hallway, unsure what her Mother would do if she found her snooping around. She peeked around the corner to check out the living room, but her Mother was nowhere to be found.

Instead, a man she had never seen before was sitting on the couch. He was typing away on a cell phone looking awfully disinterested in whatever he was doing. What was this stranger doing in her house, and where was her Mother? Maybe she should try to get answers from him; he didn't look very nice, but Ashi's Mother was very pretty and _she_ wasn't nice, so maybe the opposite could be true? His hair is weird though, and some of his eyebrows and goatee are red. That doesn't look very natural, she thought.

Before she could change her mind, the man looked up from the phone and noticed her standing there. He greeted her, "Why helloooo there!" The way he spoke creeped her out, so she took cover in the hallway. "Now, now, child. There's no need to be afraid! I only wish to meet you." he said sweetly. Ashi didn't like the vibe she got from him, but felt that if she didn't go to him, he would come to her, and that sounded a lot worse. Slowly, she shuffled into the living room, where the man was now standing close to the couch; she couldn't tell when he was sitting, but he towered over her.

The knelt down so he was level with her, "Little girl, what is your name? Do you know who I am?"

"Um, Ashi...and no." she said, uncertain how he would respond.

"Is that so? Your Mother never spoke of me or showed you any pictures?" he asked, and she nodded no. "Well, Ashi. I'm sorry that your Mother's vindictive behavior prevented you from having a loving, healthy relationship with your dear old dad!"

Ashi blinked "Are...are you m-my dad?"

The man smiled, "Yes, daughter! I, Akio Kurasawa, am your Father! Your nights of lying awake in your bed—wondering where I've been all these years—are finished!" he put a hand on her head. "And how many years has it been? How old are you, Ashi? Three? Four?"

Still processing everything, Ashi managed to eke out "Eight".

"O-Oh, yes! Eight, of course!" he cleared his throat, "So sorry! I've spent so much time...er, away, that the years just slip right past me now."

This pulled Ashi out of her trance, "But, where HAVE you been all this ti—"

But her new Father cut her off, "Say, you have siblings, yes? Why don't you bring them down, I'd love to meet a son of mine!" Ashi was about to correct him when a couple of her sisters stepped in from the hallway. Akio immediately noticed, "Two more daughters, wonderful! It's so nice to finally meet you both! Now, why don't we—" he cut himself off when he noticed another one step out. "More? Well come now, don't be shy! All of you come introduce yourself to Dad!"

Suddenly there were seven little girls at his feet, looking up at him. His pupils shrank, and his wide smile was starting to crack, but he quickly recovered and dramatically gushed; "Would you look at that! Seven of you! That—That's fantastic! Your old man sure is fertile!" He chuckled, but all of them just stared blankly, as his quip had gone over their heads.

One of the girls spoke up. "But...Father, where is Mother?"

Their Father shook his head, "Do not worry, children. Your dear Mother had to run some important errands, so she charged me with getting your things together, so that we can be on our way."

Another spoke up, "On our way to where?"

"Why, to your new home! You didn't think I would allow my precious daughters to live in such...squalor, did you?" They actually had a very nice house. It was two stories, spacious, and well maintained. Not that they could ever really enjoy it, with how closely their Mother watched all the time. But it seemed that their house was a shack compared to wherever their new Father was going to take them. He gave each of them a small suitcase, in which they packed their belongings, and lead them outside to a waiting limousine. The girls marveled at the length of the car, they had never seen a vehicle so luxurious. Akio noticed their amazement, "Get used to riding around in style, children. From now on, I will share with you the true joys that wealth and power can bring. You are now the daughters of AKu!"

While her sisters were enraptured by the commanding presence of the man who had apparently given them life, Ashi wasn't yet sure how she felt about him. But the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of living with her new Father. He seemed nice, if not a little eccentric, but much nicer than Mother. Now she'll have a parent that won't be so smothering, or demanding of her.

After the disappointment that was the martial arts bracket, Ashi finally felt that things were starting to turn around. She thought about Jack, and how his life seemed all too perfect, it just wasn't fair. But things were finally starting to go her way, and Jack couldn't take it away from her this time. Her Mother wasn't scolding her anymore, she had a new rich Father, her past sorrows were slowly being pushed to the back of her mind.

Ashi looked forward to the future with bright hope; maybe now, she could finally be happy.

/

Jack and Ashi were on the move, but with different people to different places. Their fortunes had swapped, Jack's world seemed to be crumbling down as Ashi's arose from the rubble. They would each go on to live drastically different lives, but both had something inside of them; a drive, that compelled them to seek something more in their lives. And it was that compulsion that would eventually lead them to meet again, in this city they both found by accident, just like the way they would find each other.

—END CHAPTER 1—

/


	3. Jack's Story

—CHAPTER 2—

It was a beautiful autumn morning; the city of Burlington was abuzz with the daily doings. Most of the Old North End had awoken, and was on the way to their respective businesses. The bus was tightly packed with passengers of the morning commute, and the gentle sound of morning birds wafted along with the breeze. For most of the residents, it was a fine setting to start their day. But for one of them, birds and sunshine did little to ease his awakening.

Now in his late twenties, Jack no longer sported his signature top knot. Much of his appearance gave the impression of someone who had given up—a rugged beard and long, unmanaged hair—which is exactly what he had done. Nineteen years had passed since the day that "AKu" came into his life, and the fiend had become arguably the most prevalent figure in the nation. You couldn't watch TV, read a newspaper, or browse the internet without seeing the name AKu at least once. He wasn't a beloved figure, however; he was the man everyone loved to hate, and he thrived on negative publicity and controversy. AKu had financial ties to nearly every major company, his net worth was over fifty billion dollars.

For a few years now, he had been building a repertoire of political allies, crooked politicians and lobbyists. AKu was going global; he already made connections with foreign businesses and dignitaries, but being in a place of political power would put him at the forefront of US foreign relations. The world was becoming far too similar to the future Samurai Jack had been sent to.

Jack had been doing his best to fit the mold he carved for himself. Fifteen years of traveling with his uncle initially turned him into a noble, yet humble young man. He still wore his hair in the top knot at that point, and he was built practically identical to the wandering Samurai. He had acquired many useful skills in his travels, he had done things that most people live their entire lives without doing. Even with all the things he had done, not once did he neglect his martial arts training. He continued to study at top dojos around the country, at his uncle's behest (whose connections allowed Jack most of his experiences over the years). The sword charm his Father gave him still hung around his neck, the ideals of purity and righteousness instilled in him had not been forgotten. Truly he was a man his parents would be proud of.

And they were. Fifteen years after he left his home, Jack and his uncle found his parents. They were living exactly where they used to. But it wasn't the same, not at all. The varied houses that once lined the streets were all gone, the trees Jack climbed when he was young had vanished. What they found instead was a three-block complex with a six by twelve layout of completely identical houses. They were all the exact same color, style, size, and had the same yards. The security guard working the entry gate of the complex was quite rude, and treated the exchange like they were entering a penitentiary.

Apparently AKu had been buying out neighborhoods to replace them with complexes that he owns; the more people paying off their homes directly to him, the better. Jack's neighborhood was apparently the first, an act of pure spite on AKu's part. The first step of his vengeance, Jack's parents didn't have the financial means to resist the buyout, and AKu already had a hand in the town government. A carbon-copied house was given to them, but it was shoddy and claustrophobic, and with strict guidelines regarding house appearance. The complex security guards were employed by AKu, and they lorded over the residents; bullying them into complying with arbitrary rules, threatening their homes and property. It felt like a prison camp with a cell you could furnish.

Soon after, AKu's factories became the top employer in the state, and Jack's parents had to either work in them or fail to make a living wage. But the hours were long and the labor was arduous; they would barely have time to care for Jack. After AKu first visited them, outlining what was in store, they knew they had to do something to preserve Jack's childhood. Over the next few days they spent every free moment deliberating on what they should do with Jack. They finally decided to contact Jack's uncle, his Mother's sister, whose nomadic lifestyle would never allow him to live in one of AKu's complexes. He agreed to act as Jack's guardian, and take him on a cross-country journey. This way, Jack wouldn't have to watch the years under AKu slowly destroy his parents, and he himself would be safe from AKu. And now, after all this time, their son had returned home.

The RV parked in front of the glorified shed trying to pass itself off as a home, then Jack and his uncle got out and walked up to the front door. Jack rang the doorbell, waited about ten seconds, then rang it again. His uncle wondered aloud if they weren't home, but just as Jack rang the bell a third time, the door opened.

There in the doorway stood Jack's Mother. He hadn't been home for fifteen years, but the way she looked made him feel like he'd been gone for fifty. Her hair had completely greyed, and she no longer kept it in a bun above her head; instead it drooped and sagged, the vitality almost completely faded. Her eyes were tired, but when they met Jack's, both of theirs started to well up. They met in a long-awaited embrace, only separating when Jack's uncle stepped in; he missed his sister too!

She led them both into the house, where a frail old man was sitting in a recliner. Jack didn't recognize the man at first, but it didn't take long for him to put two and two together. This husk of a man, who weakly stood up to shuffle over and greet them, was Jack's Father. Jack could barely contain his shock upon realizing, and his Father lowered his head somberly. But Jack quickly regained his composure and tightly hugged his Father, who could no longer hold back tears. They cried into each other for a minute or so, until his Father pulled away. He looked Jack up and down, and there was a light in his eyes that Jack's Mother hadn't seen in years. You could see his smile through his thick white beard. "My son..." he spoke wistfully. "How I wish I could have seen you become the man before me today."

Jack shook his head, "I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for you and Mother." But his smile fell apart, "You both have sacrificed so much on my behalf, and now look at you. You've been worked to the bone in that awful place, all because of him! And look at what he has done to our home! This injustice must end!" Jack held up a clenched fist, but his Father pushed it back down.

"Be careful, my son. Righteous fury can be a powerful tool, but it is often confused for anger and hatred. Those things will blind you from the path." He placed his hands on Jack's shoulders, "You've grown into an honorable young man, but this world has become bereft of the principles you hold dear. You must not let yourself be corrupted by it. Do not let be led astray by vice; remember the things that are truly important."

Jack smiled brightly; it had been too long since he had heard his Father's profound words. He gripped the charm hanging around his neck, "Father, Mother, I swear I will do whatever it takes to get you two out of this horrible place! I will find a way."

But his Father shook his head, "You must find _your_ way, whatever it may be. Do not exhaust yourself trying to provide for us, we will persist", Jack's Mother had moved next to his Father, and they both stood hand in hand, smiling at Jack. "You will always have a place here, my son. But you must go now, and find a place you can live your life the way _you_ want. That will be the place you call home." Jack's uncle put a hand on his shoulder, and nodded to him.

Jack said goodbye to his parents once again, then he and his uncle headed back to the RV. He was about to get in the passenger seat, but his uncle stopped him, and handed him the keys. "This time, you lead. Go where the wind takes you, and I'll be there to see you off." He winked at Jack, who eagerly grabbed the keys and hopped into the driver's seat. He knew exactly where he wanted to go.

They had visited Vermont pretty early in their adventures, starting from Pennsylvania and travelling up towards New England. When they got to Burlington, Jack felt as though he had entered a dream world. There were large, beautiful buildings everywhere. So many cars and people, and they moved about at almost a rhythmic pace. And that night, so many lights and colors! There were musicians on many of the streets, with funky instruments that made strangely appealing noises. Jack remembered it for the remainder of his journey, and now that he was looking for a place to settle down, living there made the most sense. He didn't want to be too far from his parents, but it would still be kind of a trek to get back to them.

And so, they drove to Burlington, found a nice little apartment in the Old North End, and Jack began to get settled. He said goodbye to his Uncle, thanking him for all he's done, and his uncle wished him luck in finding his path, and left him one thousand dollars to cover the first week's expenses.

Immediately after, Jack went to get reacquainted with the city, but it wasn't quite as he remembered. There was a huge disparity between buildings that looked brand new, and buildings that were practically falling apart. The cars were reckless and noisy, and the people paid no mind to anyone unless they got in their way, where customarily they would exchange vulgar insults. Everything looked muddy and grey, and where the musicians once were, homeless people begged for loose change.

Jack only wondered how this came to be for moment, before a bus sporting an advertisement paid for by none other than AKu rolled past, and he knew exactly what was going on.

Suddenly, he heard a loud siren quickly approaching from the distance, and sure enough a police cruiser came barreling down the road. It seemed to take note of Jack's presence on the sidewalk, as it slammed on the brakes and made a quick maneuver to slide roughly into the curb right in front of him. The window rolled down to reveal a hulking Scottish man in uniform behind the wheel. Jack could see that he was bald since he wasn't wearing a police cap, and his bright orange hair was in a ponytail that connected to his thick sideburns, which met under his nose in a moustache. He spoke, and Jack noticed how poorly maintained the officer's teeth were over the loud, accent-heavy words coming out of his mouth; "EY LADDIE, YOU SEEN A TALL MAN WITH A BIG NOSE, DRESSED SORT OF LIKE A COWBOY?" he bellowed, "'IM AND THIS WOMAN IN A GREEN DRESS BEEN WANTED FOR DAYS NOW, AND I KNOW THEY'RE SOMEWHERE IN THIS CITY!"

Jack thought for a moment of the people he had seen that day. Most of them looked rather unwelcoming, but he couldn't remember anyone who fit that description. "I am sorry, officer. I have not seen the people you are looking for", he explained.

The man shook his head, "Ahh what am I doin' askin' some scrawny stranger anyway? I'M the cop here, HAHAHA!" He took another look at Jack, "Say, I don't think I've seen you around here before...you new in town?"

"Why, yes. I just moved into an apartment in the Old North End. I had visited this place many years ago as a young boy. But this city...it is not at all how I remember it."

The Scottish officer shook his head, "Aye, a lot has changed around here. You must have been here when you were a wee lad, cause this place has been goin' to the dogs for years now. All because of that blasted—wait, I'm gettin' ahead of myself! What's yer name, stranger?"

Jack had been somewhat lost in thought, but the man's question broke him out, "Uh, Jack. Jack Senshi, officer."

"Well, Jack! Judgin' by the way you wear your hair, I'd say yer a wise fella! Maybe someday you'll grow a REAL man's ponytail, HAHAHA!" he hollered, as Jack inquisitively touched his top knot. "Anyway, how would you like a tour of your new home? By the time we're through you'll know all the ins and outs of this place!" Jack thought for a moment. This city was now alien to him, and apparently it had become dangerous as well; perhaps a police escort would be the best way to familiarize himself with his new place of residence? He agreed, and the officer gestured to the passenger door of his cruiser, "Hop in!". Jack went around and got into the car, which quickly sped off before he could even buckle his seatbelt.

The man turned to Jack, who was mildly shaken, "By the way, my name's Ainsley Scott! But everyone around here calls me Scotsman!" Jack responded with an incredulous look, to which "Scotsman" replied, "What? I AM a Scott after all!"

"As long as it suits you, I suppose", shrugged Jack.

And so, Jack's new "friend" gave him the grand tour of Burlington, giving him some background on what had been going on since he last visited. As he predicted, AKu's influence had spread here too. Infrastructure started to collapse as crime rates had gone up; it was no longer the beautiful place he once knew. Eager to fix things, Jack asked what he could do to help. Scotsman suggested that he could join him as a beat cop, as the local precinct was understaffed and ill-equipped to handle the large influx of felons. Scotsman apparently needed a new partner as well, telling Jack that his old one probably wasn't going to recover, which made him a little uneasy.

Before he could accept the offer, a tricked-out vehicle with bull horns on the hood flew past them; Scotsman screeched, "THERE THEY ARE, LET'S GO PARTNER!", and the cruiser gave chase. It looked like Jack's mind was made up for him.

After a lively chase, the two "officers" caught the couple, whom Jack had later learned went by "The Clenches". While they were praised by the other officers for catching the criminals, Scotsman was in pretty hot water for letting a civilian assist in police business. But the commissioner changed his tune when he was told that the stranger wanted to join the force; they could really use a hand from someone like Jack, who had already proven he was fully capable of handling the job.

Jack had no trouble getting through basic training, and for the next two years, Jack and Scotsman were a beat cop dream team. Every major criminal in the city were eventually brought in by them: The Clenches, a gang called the Ultra Boys, a group of rowdy bikers, a cult that called themselves the "Minions of Set", all were taken in by the duo. They once busted a famous rave DJ that was persuading teenagers to loot and riot each night. What they discovered from most of those cases was that many of the felons had ties to AKu. They even caught his top assistant, Derek "Demongo" Morgan, who had been secretly kidnapping ex-convicts for his personal workforce. But even with all the evidence piled against him, Jack and Scotsman were never able to bring AKu in himself, his clout was too great. Even though he personally visited Burlington on multiple occasions to "congratulate" the pair on cleaning up the city, they couldn't touch him.

Even with his success on the crime front, Jack also made it a point to assist the locals whenever he could; many of which were also feeling the sting of AKu's influence. There was an Icelandic man who was stuck working in a Viking-themed restaurant, whom they helped get out of his contract. He helped a group of scientists when their bus broke down on the way to a convention. There was a little girl who called them because she thought her house was haunted, and two other kids who couldn't find their way home. Jack even helped reunite a baby, that had been left in the park, with its Mother. He became such a popular figure in the neighborhood for being so polite and helpful, and everyone recognized him by his top knot; they started to call him the "friendly neighborhood Samurai", then finally just "the Samurai".

Jack also made pretty good money on the job, and every paycheck he got, he would send a portion of it to his parents. Everything was going well, and Jack felt like he was truly making a difference.

But then a series of disasters struck. First, Jack's parents stopped receiving the money he was sending; someone had been intercepting his outgoing mail, and the money was lost. Soon after, the precinct Jack worked for got a new commissioner: a crooked man, who obviously had ties to AKu. Jack and Scotsman were no longer praised for their hard work, instead being reassigned to focus on basic traffic tickets, parking violations, and generally the things cops are despised for. As close as he and his partner were, Jack couldn't do it anymore, and resigned from the force; Scotsman would've done so too, if not for the family he had to support (Jack still couldn't believe he was married, and had children too!).

But Jack hadn't given up just yet. He still wanted to help his friends and neighbors, even without a partner or badge backing him up. During the day, he worked odd jobs for people he knew, and was able to make enough money to live off of; the small businesses around the neighborhood all trusted him to help out, and they paid him as well as they could.

At night, however, Jack would dress in all black, climbing across buildings and looking out for the criminals that cops were no longer pursuing. But even though he fought for justice, now he was on the opposite side of the law, and his vigilante behavior was noticed by AKu and the city government. They immediately launched a smear campaign, TV segments were aired every night, and advertisements were plastered on every corner; the vigilante became public enemy number one.

Jack managed to evade the law for about a year, until one night, he snuck into one of AKu's research buildings; apparently, AKu-funded scientists had been experimenting on animals with dangerous chemicals, and he wanted to set them free. He managed to sneak past the security booth, and carefully worked his way through the buildings surveillance grid. He eventually came to a large steel door, with a key card reader to the left of it. Just then, he heard a security guard coming, so he jumped behind one of the large potted plants that lined the hallway. As the guard walked past, Jack reached out and snatched the keycard hanging from his belt. Once the coast was clear, he swiped it against the card reader, and he was in.

The room was a large research lab with two long tables on both sides, and each was covered with glass beakers and measuring cups. Various papers were strewn about, listing off aspects of numbers and data that Jack didn't understand. But then he noticed at the end of the room, separated by a wall of glass, three goats sleeping soundly. There was no door to access their confinement, but Jack saw a button on a pedestal near the glass. Holding his chin in contemplation, he reasoned that it was the way to open the glass wall, and warily pressed the button. But instead of the glass wall opening like he had hoped, three vents opened up on the back wall behind the glass, and a strange colored gas started to pour into the goat's chamber.

Realizing his mistake, he started pressing the button again and again to try and stop the fumes, failing to notice the three goats beginning to stir. Once awake, the goats started rampaging around inside the containment area, but soon became aware of Jack's presence while he was sifting through papers, trying to find a way to stop what he started. The goats ran right through the glass barrier, shattering it, and headed right for him.

With only a second to spare, he leapt onto the table to his right. The goats rammed the table, knocking it over, forcing Jack to leap over them to the other side of the room. He had to get out, but the heavy steel door was closed, and he could bet the raging animals weren't about to give him the chance to open it. He grabbed a handful of beakers, and tossed them all over the room, hoping to distract the creatures. When that failed, he started throwing them _at_ the animals. One of the beakers had liquid in it, which splashed over the eyes of one of the goats. It ran around in a frenzy, knocking over another goat before ramming itself unconscious against the steel door. The third goat finally knocked over the table Jack was standing on, and he landed hard on the floor near the shattered glass barrier. The goat charged, and Jack reached for anything, and ended up grabbing a dagger-shaped shard of glass. The goat pounced, and Jack struck it with the piece of glass right in its throat. It shrieked in pain, and blood shot out from the wound. At this point, the other two were getting up, and ready to go at it again, but Jack was too quick. He slit the throat of the second that dare approach him, and tackled the last one, driving the shard into the top of its head. It stopped moving, so he removed his weapon and stood up, panting, covered in goat blood.

Jack stayed like this for a good minute before he came to his senses. He looked down at the dead animals, and realized what he had done. Dropping the bloodied shard, Jack fell to his knees, staring at his quivering, red-stained hands. What had overcome him? How could he harm these innocent creatures? He didn't react when armed security started pouring into the scene, screaming at him to put his hands up. He made no attempt to resist, and was taken into custody.

Jack was charged with breaking and entering, attempted burglary, and destruction of private property. The arrest and subsequent trial were all over the local news: the renegade ex-cop who killed animals. AKu himself backed the prosecution, citing that the "Samurai" was no longer a part of HIS police force, and that he should be considered a dangerous criminal and put away for life. But Jack was still well-known and loved by many, and he was backed by his past actions, and Scotsman gave a boisterous testimony on his behalf. It was then found out that the fumes that were released in the containment area of the lab were pheromones that propagated aggression in animal's brains, which is why the goats attacked Jack in the first place. On top of that, Jack himself had been breathing the fumes after the barrier was broken, and they attributed that to his violent reaction. With those factors in place, the jury found him not guilty and he was free to go.

Still, the damage was done. AKu had denounced the Samurai as a menace to society, and association with him became a negative stigma. Scotsman never cared about what people thought, but everyone Jack would turn to for labor no longer wanted him working for them, for fear of their families or businesses being ostracized. The only place Jack could work was a run-down supermarket that barely paid minimum wage. The hours were long, the conditions were lackluster, and the customer base was needy and rude. And with tax hikes and an ever-inflating cost of living, bills started piling up.

But his difficulty making ends meet barely mattered to Jack anymore. The man who arrived here four years ago, looking to make a difference, was a shell of his former self. He was no longer helping his parents, his neighbors had shunned him, and AKu continued to expand his influence. He let his hair grow out, and he neglected to shave; probably for the best though, as his old appearance would only isolate him now. He no longer wore the sword charm his Father had bestowed upon him, and now kept it with his old drawings of the fantasy he once tried to fulfill. What a foolish Samurai he had been.

Jack had failed. There was no hope.

His life now consisted of an endless cycle of eating, sleeping, and working. The days bled into each other, and the only time he would break that cycle was when Scotsman would drag him out to bars on weekends to try and cheer him up, while also chewing his ear off about his own life. Tonight was one of those nights, and everything from the point Jack woke up until now was a blur. They were sitting at a table in Jack's favorite bar, though that hardly mattered to him at this point.

"Da Samoorai's Pad", a moderately-sized building, run by an energetic, posturing black man. They found him initially, strutting about the neighborhood calling himself, "Da Samoorai", boasting about how tough he was. Scotsman hated how he seemed to be cutting in on his friend's reputation, but Jack found it somewhat endearing. After saving him from a gang that had threatened him, Jack talked to him about how the true path of a Samurai didn't involve being a show-off. Soon after, he opened up the bar downtown, named after the persona he had given up. "Sam", as they grew to call him, became the bartender, and would always give Jack and Scotsman a drink on the house whenever they came in.

Jack wasn't much of drinker; he usually preferred tea. But these days, you couldn't find him at a bar without a drink in hand. He was really putting them away, and Scotsman joked that if jack kept it up he would look just like him—only less handsome, he admitted.

Tonight, Scotsman was going on about something that happened at his family dinner that evening, and Jack was listening with general apathy. He spoke between spouts of laughter, "...and then...the haggis flew across the room, and slammed against the wall! Oh, me wife was furious, but then Flora shouted, 'Mum, do you see? Sheep don't fly...but their stomachs do!' AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He wiped a tear from his eye, "HOOOOO, I swear, that girl is gonna be the death'a me one day. But I love her so much, she's a chip off the ole' block, eh!?"

Jack nodded weakly, with a dismissive "Hmm" in response.

That was it for Scotsman, time to let him have it. He slammed his palms on the table to make sure he had Jack's attention, which he now did. "ALRIGHT, LISTEN HERE YOU JAKEY DOBBER NYAFF! I'VE HAD IT WITH YER DOATY MINCE-TALKIN' SCHTICK YOU GOT GOIN'! THIS AIN'T THE MAN I WORKED WITH FER TWO YEARS, DOIN' THE BEST DAMN POLICE WORK THIS CITY AIN'T NEVER SEEN! INSTEAD'A SITTIN' HERE, MOPIN' ABOUT LIKE A CLYTHE-DREEP-BACHLE JESSIE, LISTENIN' TO ME GO ON ABOUT ME LOVIN' FAMILY, WHY DON'T YOU GO OUT, FIND YERSELF A HEALTHY LASS, AND MAKE ONE'A YER OWN!?" He started walking towards the bathroom; "NOW, I'M GOING TO THE PISSER, AND WHEN I GET BACK, I BETTER SEE YOU ON THE ARM OF A NICE BONNIE LASS, OR I'LL RIP OF YER BAW, DRAIN IT INTO A MARTINI GLASS AND MAKE YOU DRINK IT!" He was about to slam the bathroom door, but poked his head out first to yell, "OR A HANDSOME FELLA, I DON'T CARE! JUST FIND SOMEONE!" and _then_ he slammed the door.

Jack sighed deeply, realizing his friend was right. He was getting nowhere anymore, especially with how he was acting. Maybe it was time to start dating? But he wasn't very experienced in that department, the fifteen years he spent on the road made it difficult to form lasting relationships with people he met, ESPECIALLY girls. He had a hard enough time dealing with puberty, which hit him like a ton of bricks. He had zero sexual experience, at least with other people. The day he discovered masturbation was mortifying, and it made for a weird couple of days in the RV.

Even still, Jack felt his ideals about sex and relationships were vastly different from popular opinion. He felt sex was something sacred, but most guys made it their mission to have as much of it as they could get, regardless of how they felt about the woman they did it with. And girls, too. They dressed in skimpy outfits, inviting these misogynists to ogle and woo them. Men were using them, and they were willing! Jack thought it was deplorable how promiscuous everyone was.

He looked around the bar and saw all of the types he despised. Hyper masculine boys, chugging cheap beer and high-fiving each other. And the girls, sitting in their little cliques, yammering on about petty things with their overly-sweet cocktails...except for one.

She sat by herself at one of the high tables, a light beer in front of her. Facing away from him, her black hair was pushed back and upwards, like she was falling straight down. She wore modest clothes, a pair of tight jeans and a leather vest over a low-cut tee.

Jack was fixated on her. She reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite remember who. Thinking he should go talk to her, Jack worried his unkempt appearance might scare her off. But remembering his friend's "motivational" words, he finally decided to go for it. Not like he had anything to lose at this point anyway.

—END CHAPTER 2—

/


	4. Ashi's Story

—CHAPTER 3—

Ashi's life was going nowhere.

Here she was, a twenty-seven-year-old woman, living in a big city, and she barely had anything to show for it. After transferring to the University of Burlington, Ashi now had a Bachelor's degree in Natural Science, and had paid off much of the tuition on her own. Not only did she want to prove that she could make it on her own, but she made every attempt to distance herself from her Father's controversial reputation.

The day Ashi found out her Father was "the great AKu" was supposed to change her life for the better. And for a long time, it did. No longer did she and her sisters have to live under the strict tutelage of her awful Mother. Their new Father was much more lenient with them; they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted, and with their Father's immense wealth, they had the means to as well. Lavish mansions, fine dining, and first-class travel was now hers to enjoy. Her world was once small, but now the sky was the limit.

AKu promised them whatever they desired, and he certainly meant it. But what she eventually realized was that what they wanted was supposed to be what _he_ wanted. If their Father ever wanted things a certain way, he would get it. Nobody could tell him no. One day, Ashi asked him what he did to get where he was, and he replied, "nothing"; AKu told her that he only ever made others do things FOR him. As his daughter, he encouraged her to live accordingly.

For a long time after that, the young girl mulled over what her Father had told her. He always seemed so happy, could the key to that really be doing nothing yourself? She thought about it, being waited on, hand and foot. Like one of those guys in Ancient Greece with the robes, being fed grapes; she saw it on a "cartoon" the other day, something she was never able to watch until recently.

Laying on a couch and watching TV was certainly relaxing, but Ashi would always get bored of it before long, and pine for the grass she used to lay in, the sky she looked up at, the sun and clouds that patched the ground with dark spots. She couldn't imagine lying around like that her whole life; after all, you can't do martial arts on your back. Well, maybe some of it you could, but it was usually done standing up, and Ashi preferred it that way.

On the other hand, her Mother always told her to be focused. Driven. Tenacious. She always painted the world as a cruel, unforgiving place, where only the strong survive. "If you truly want something, you must take it for yourself. Otherwise, someone will steal it away, and you'll be left with nothing. Do not concern yourself with others, you can only ensure your own survival." Her Mother's words rang in her head. "Never relent, _always_ attack."

As obedient as she was to this advice, it didn't always work in her favor. The only time she really put it to use was in her karate class, and while she could demolish any of the other students, she always ended up flat on her back against Jack. He was impervious to her Mother's advice, and she never understood why.

And now her Father is telling her to get someone else to do things for her. How could she watch out for herself if she needed someone to do that too? And why would they help her in the first place if everyone was only out for themselves. Something didn't add up; one of her parents was mistaken, but who? Could they both be wrong?

Ashi pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. If she let them distract her, the world would surely steamroll right over her. Better now to follow the man who is charged with raising her; surely, he knows what's best for her, she thought.

So Ashi and her sisters became true daughters of AKu. They lived with him in his billion-dollar mansion, seated atop the highest property in the Californian west coast. She and her sisters were given every luxury: they could have any toys they desired, could eat any food whenever they wanted, and weren't told when to go to bed OR when to wake up. But Ashi's favorite part was the balcony. Her enormous new home had a grand balcony that overlooked everything. She could see an orange-soaked landscape down below, and a deep blue ocean stretching over the horizon. At daybreak, Ashi's Father would sit with her on the balcony, and they would watch the sunset fall behind the sea. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She looked up at him and said, "Daddy, I love you". Her Father smiled down at her, patted her head, and lovingly replied, "My dear daughter". Ashi felt like a princess in one of those colorful movies her sisters keep showing her; her Father was the king, and this was her castle.

But it wasn't long before her life became a little too reminiscent of a dizz knee movie (was she saying that right?).

Only three months had gone by, and already her Father was around less and less. AKu would tell his daughters that he had to oversee people who were doing important business on his behalf, and he would leave them under the supervision of the many servants present in the vast mansion. Whatever they needed, they could go to a servant and he would quickly provide them with it. They were still getting everything they asked for, as long as they didn't ask to speak to their Father; he specifically ordered his servants to "NOT LET THEM DISTURB AKUUUU!"

Of course, Ashi missed the quality time she had been spending with her Father, and all the toys and ice cream in the world couldn't fill the void when he was gone. She played with her sisters sometimes, but they all seemed perfectly satisfied with their new living situation. It made her feel wrong, why was she the only one not getting it? She thought back to her Mother, looking at her like she was a weak little thing. And right now, she was. Just a little girl who missed her daddy, and she had no one to turn to about it.

The years went by, holidays past, and visits from Dad were scarce. But near the end of Summer after the girls all turned thirteen, Dad came home with some "exciting" news. He said he had enrolled his daughters into Winterwood Academy, "the most prestigious girls boarding academy in the country—no, the world!". He handed them each a brochure, and it looked like a nice enough place (but Ashi quietly wondered where all the snow was). The entire inside of the brochure was a professionally developed shot of the building and school grounds with text over it, and stock images of smiling girls in uniform holding books strewn about. On the back cover, the school's mission statement was printed in stylish cursive, an eloquent spiel about "traditional values" and "the girls of tomorrow". They were set to leave by the start of September, and their Father assured them they would be attending a place where they would thrive.

Ashi was disheartened that she would have to uproot herself all over again; the sisters would be home for holidays and summers, but for the most part they would be living at school, away from the kingdom Ashi now called home. She wanted to speak up, but she saw how excited her Dad seemed about the whole thing; the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her Father. So, when August came to a close, and the weather began to turn cold, Ashi and her sisters packed their things and got in their awaiting limousine, bound for their new academic home.

Upon arrival, it was clear that the brochure did not do justice to the school's outward appearance. The grounds were located in a secluded hillside, surrounded by a dense forest of that had only just begun to adopt autumn hues. Ashi looked around in awe at all the nature she was surrounded by; maybe this place wouldn't be so bad.

But once the semester started, and the girls got into the swing of things, Ashi learned that her newest home was a more like a step backwards. Not only was she back under constant supervision, but this time it was by an entire faculty. They had strictly regimented times for eating, sleeping, studying, recreation, and even hygiene; the only positive factor was that their judgmental glares were nothing compared to the looks her Mother used to give on a daily basis.

The workload was quite difficult as well. With her Mother, Ashi only had to worry about following directions, and being perfect in doing so. Now, on top of that, she had to worry about all kinds of academic assignments. How many sixteenths in a quarter? What is the capital of Nebraska? What is the powerhouse of the cell? So much new information was being fed to her all the time, she felt like her head was spinning. The worst part was that every room had an enormous window, bordered by colorful stain glass. Sunlight would always shine in on her morning classes, the glass provided a view of the trees and nature outside, that lie tantalizingly close, yet still so far out of reach. The woods surrounding the campus were strictly off limits; the only times any student was allowed to go in was on scheduled nature walks, and even then, they were heavily supervised.

Ashi didn't really make any friends her entire time she attended the academy. The dorm rooms were arranged alphabetically, so of course Ashi ended up rooming with one of her sisters; it wasn't a bad time, but Ashi wished she could bond with someone who wasn't blood related to her. She had a few acquaintances she saw in and out of class, but never got the chance to really know them. She was rarely alone, but she was still lonely.

Despite these challenges, Ashi made it through her four-year career at Winterwood Academy (but she still never saw a single snowflake). Her grades were above average, but they were nothing to write home about; at least not with the "higher learning" going on at that school.

The girls waited for their limo to arrive, their Father coming to take them home again. Soon it pulled up, and the door opened to reveal...not their Father. Instead a large, intimidating man climbed out the driver's seat, and opened the limousine door. Out stepped a skinny man with a narrow face, and blue hair that was spiked up to look almost like fire. He wore an all-black suit that reminded them of their Dad's, and he spoke in a voice that sounded much like his only in a much higher register. He introduced himself as Derek Morgan, AKu's top assistant, which made Ashi wonder how many her Dad actually had. He had been sent by their Father to pick them up and deliver them to his house, while AKu himself was on a "business venture". Ashi heard him talking on his cell phone in the car, and he mentioned her Dad being caught up in some "water dispute" whatever that meant. She didn't like the look of this guy, and he was apparently her Dad's right-hand man? She wondered, why would he hire such shady people?

Now seventeen years old, Ashi and her sisters had been given a year break from their studies after Winterwood, and she needed something to do with herself. Her Mother came to visit at one point, and tried to coax her into getting involved with her career, and Ashi finally learned what her Mother did for a living. She was the head of "Priestess", a successful health and fitness program that people all over the nation had been using. The large muscular woman who used to watch over the daughters when they still lived with Mother finally made sense to Ashi. But after spending four years in a school that emulated her early years, she wasn't about to go back to "serving" under her Mother.

Instead, Ashi asked one of her Father's servants to get her the number of the best martial artist money could buy. It had been so long since she even thought about her favorite past time, and now she had the time and the means to really get into it. She ended up getting referred to a band of travelling hunters, known as the Imakandi, that was reportedly in the area. Renowned for their superb hunting and tracking skills, but they were also incredibly skilled martial artists. Rumor had it that they sometimes served as mercenaries, not for money, but for a "worthy hunt". However, it was also said that they would only teach to those who could find them. Secluding themselves wherever their temporary residence was, the woods just outside of town seemed like the perfect place.

With four years hiking experience under her belt, Ashi geared up with all sorts of wilderness essentials, and headed out to find her soon-to-be mentors. The Imakandi were known for marking their territory, and that was how she was going to find them. Ashi followed the strange footprints and noticeable scratch marks on the trees, eventually coming to an orange glow between the trees after the sun had gone down. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the Imakandi campsite; a bonfire roared in the middle, illuminating their marked faces and the teepee-like lodgings they had built. One of them approached her, "What business do you have in our territory, girl?"

The man was rather intimidating, but Ashi stood firm. She didn't come all this way to wimp out now. "I have come to learn your ways. I followed the trail you left, and it lead me to this place."

The Imakandi's face remained stoic as he replied, "Then you have passed the first test. Come." He led her to the group of men sitting around the fire, similarly dressed and built, except for one. A much older looking man, with a fierce mask covering his face and loud beads around his neck, wrists and ankles. Ashi was seated across from him front of the fire, and the smoldering blaze only seemed to intensify the old man's piercing gaze as he watched her through his mask. She sat there, unsure of what to do, when one of the other men held a wooden bowl of pink petals in front of her. She looked across at the old man, who nodded to reassure her. Grabbing a handful of the petals, Ashi watched the old man mime throwing something into the fire, and followed suit. The petals sizzled for a moment or two, then the old man raised his hands and looked up, as if giving reverence to the moon. Suddenly, the fire turned blue and shot up into a pillar of flames, which caused Ashi to retreat slightly. The flame died down enough so that she could see the old man again, who looked her in the eyes for a moment and nodded. One of the men spoke up, "The Shaman has decided, you are worthy of our ways." Ashi had no idea what just happened, but was glad the ordeal wasn't for nothing. First thing in the morning, she was to begin her training.

Over the course of the next year, Ashi had learned many new skills from her Imakandi mentors., Now an expert tracker, her senses had improved drastically. They taught her to hunt and trap animals, but she wasn't comfortable killing and eating anything; good thing the Imakandi only hunted for sport. They had also taught her a multitude of new martial arts techniques, which when combined with her sharpened senses, made her a force to be reckoned with. Her final test was a spar with the leader of the tribe, whom she had sparred with multiple times throughout the year. Like their subsequent matches, Ashi didn't win, but her mentors assured her that her performance was acceptable regardless. She was now an honorary Imakandi, and though they offered her a chance to stay and travel with them, Ashi declined. After all, she still had a family to go back to; even though they weren't always on the same page, she wasn't going to outright abandon them for good. The tribe understood her sentiment; they escorted her out of the forest, wished their student the best, and then disappeared back into the trees.

From the woods, Ashi walked all the way back to her home; after her training, walking a few miles was nothing to her. She walked into her home expecting a big welcome after being gone so long, but all she got was a dismissive hello from her sister's, who had barely noticed her absence in the first place. They had really taken on the flighty rich girl persona; they sat there in their expensive clothing, scrolling away on their fancy new smartphones. Ashi felt she was the only one to hold on to her independence (or whatever was left of it after Winterwood), and her time with the Imakandi only strengthened that feeling. Her Dad was nowhere to be found—big surprise—but he soon returned from who knows where with an important announcement: the girls were going to college.

Before any of them could ask him which one, he clarified that _they_ would be the ones to decide where they attended classes. And it didn't have to be unanimous either, each of the seven teens could pick any school they wanted, regardless of what the others chose. Almost all of them were excited now, they prattled on about what schools they wanted to go to; Harvard, Stanford, Colombia, all the top schools were brought up as the girls deliberated on where they should go. The only one who wasn't visibly excited was Ashi, and AKu took notice of this.

He knelt beside her, "My sweet Ashi, why do you not celebrate with your sisters? You have an exciting four years ahead of you at the university of your choosing, no matter the how costly it may be!" He lifted her chin with his index finger, "After all, the daughters of AKu deserve no less than the finest academic institutions! Have you forgotten how lucky you are to share my blood?" He chuckled at his own joke, but the wording only made Ashi more uncomfortable.

"Well, no, but that's actually the problem," Ashi started to explain as his beaming face turned to one of confusion, "Our whole lives, we've only been receiving all these luxurious things because of you! Of course, we're your children, so it makes sense that you would do all of these things for us. But…I don't feel like I deserve these things if I didn't work for them." Ashi looked at her Dad for some kind of confirmation that he understood what she meant, but he just stared at her blankly. Before she could get discouraged, she tried a different approach. "W-What I mean is…I DO want to go to college, the one that I choose. But, I want to get in on my own. I'm not a kid anymore, I want to prove to myself that I'm capable!"

AKu stood up and blinked, processing what she had just confessed to him. Were his ears deceiving him? Was his own flesh and blood saying that she wanted to be accountable for her own actions? The very thought of such a concept made him shudder, and he was about to put his foot down on the matter when he looked down at Ashi. She was staring up at him with bright eyes, and a tiny dimpled smile; it was such a pure sight that for a second, he swore he actually felt something. Disgusting, he thought, but he could not ignore his daughter's pleas, no matter how humiliating it was. Rather than shooting her down outright, AKu thought of an ingenious idea, and cracked a devilish grin to himself.

He looked at her again, while stroking his goatee. "Oh, my dear sweet Ashi. It does your old man's heart wonders to see his own offspring with such a desire to take control of her own life, you remind me of myself when I was your age. Yes, sixteen is a pivotal age that paves the way for one's future success!"

Ashi chimed in, "Dad, I'm eighteen".

His face drooped for a moment when she said this, but he quickly brushed it off, "O-Oh yes, of course! So sorry about that, you know how your old man is with time, ha-ha!" Her Father stood up straight, as though he was about to give an inspirational sermon. "But what I'm getting at is that you understand the crucial age in which a young woman such as yourself, on the cusp of adulthood, must take hold of her own destiny! And so, dear daughter, I am handing you the reins, so to speak. I won't spend a dime towards your higher education, I will leave it all to you."

Ashi's face lit up with excitement, until her Dad threw in a "BUT…!" She paused; "but" what? Was there some sort of stipulation to her Father's promise?

AKu spoke again, "I will only respect your financial independence, if you make your living working for your Mother's organization. That is my only demand." Her heart sank; she had to go back to work for her Mother? Only this time she would _actually_ be working for her, and that sounded ten times worse. It was a tough call: either she accepted her Father's money to get her into a prestigious school at the turn of autumn, relenting to a life of vapid luxury, or willingly become an indentured servant to her Mother, for the sake of buying her own way into a modest college eventually (realistically, she had no idea how long she would be working to pay for school).

But this was the only way she could be free to provide for herself, and wasn't going to be scared away. She was no longer the scared little girl that was always looking to impress Mommy; she was officially an adult now, one that spent an entire year in the woods, vigorously training with legendary martial artists. She was clearly more than capable of handling herself, so what did she have to be afraid of? Whatever her Mother was going to dish out, she could take it.

Ashi and her Father shook hands; he agreed to stay out of her business when it came to school, and she was going to pay her way through school working under her Mother. It was the perfect arrangement, especially for AKu, who had been getting angry calls from his ex-wife for months now, about how he never let her visit their children. What better way to shut her up then to send her one of her daughters as an indentured servant for an indeterminate amount of time. After all, he never really believed Ashi would be able to pay off her tuition on her own. She would eventually come crawling back, unable to support herself in the scary real world, but until then he—or rather his servants—had one less mouth to feed. The devious AKu was killing two birds with one stone.

That following week, while her sisters left for their respective schools, Ashi left for Pennsylvania, her old hometown, where she started working for her Priestess. The business had expanded greatly since AKu came back into their lives. Even after getting out of prison, he was still obligated to pay alimony; with his enormous wealth, a few thousand bucks to the ex now and then was of little concern. But her Mother had put that money to good use, especially considering she wasn't actually supporting seven kids any more.

Her business started as a small compound in the local business district, but in the ten years Ashi had been on the west coast, that small compound was now a fifteen-story office building that acted as the central hub of over a dozen fitness and nutritional centers around the country. The state government had finally caught on to the alimony she wasn't using on her kids, but her business had already gained enough traction to sustain itself at that point.

During a tour of the building and its facilities, Ashi's Mother showed her to her workstation. It was a traditional office cubicle; a brand-new PC sat there on the desktop, next to a metal filing cabinet, a telephone, and a whole lot of empty desk space. Her Mother explained the different jobs that Ashi would be doing, each one sounding droller than the last.

The last step of the tour was a visit to her Mother's office, to discuss the "finer points" of the job. As soon as Ashi stepped into the room, her Mother made it very clear that there would be no nepotism in this office. "You are on the same level as the other employees; less even, since you're new. Punctuality is your first task. You are to be here every morning at or before aeven AM sharp. That means you are clocked in NO LATER than seven. Is that clear?"

Ashi weakly replied, "Yes, Mother," but it didn't cut it.

"ARE. WE. CLEAR?"

"YES, MOTHER! WE ARE CLEAR!"

They stared each other down for a moment.

"…Good, then I'll see you tomorrow morning. When?"

Ashi had turned to walk out, but stopped dead in her tracks, and turned back around rigidly, "AT or BEFORE seven AM SHARP," she said sarcastically.

"Excellent…I'll see you at home."

"Yeah, okay." Ashi closed the office door behind her and let out a heavy sigh. This was going to be a challenge.

Realistically, it wasn't, but that was precisely the problem. She spent eight hours Mondays through Fridays, doing menial tasks to promote the company's products. One of which was to pick out phone numbers from a list and call them to solicit the various supplements and services the company offered. Ashi was a glorified solicitor, but at least the pay was decent. She was only getting a basic salary though, and she secretly wished her Mother wasn't against nepotism; maybe she'd have a bigger paycheck.

A year into her new job, she was now tasked with driving the company car to other businesses, to organize the selling of the company's products at other outlets. Ashi liked it a lot better than sitting in a cubicle, filing paperwork and making calls, but she usually had to make the drive in the middle of the day, and the commute was horrible.

Three years later, and she finally had enough to start classes at the University of Pennsylvania; now she was balancing her job, and a full course schedule, with Natural Sciences chosen as her Major. During the day, she worked at Priestess, and then in the evening she would make the commute to campus for her night classes. Ashi would've loved to live on campus, but the cost of residence life would have made the tuition much worse, and she would have to work for her Mother until she was in her sixties.

Ashi was successfully balancing work and school, but it was taking its toll on her. Before she started her classes, she was back at her old martial arts academy, only now she was taking the adult classes. Now she was truly the top student; her training with the Imakandi put her leagues above her classmates. She could even give the instructor a run for his money in a spar. It was the perfect way to blow off steam from her boring desk job.

But now she had no time to fit those classes into her schedule; she was off Saturday and Sunday from both work and school, but martial arts classes weren't held on weekends. The only solace was the college parties that were held on Friday and Saturday nights. She wasn't well acquainted with anyone from the University, but these parties were open to everyone, so it made little difference to anyone if she was there.

But her presence certainly wasn't ignored. While Ashi herself had never acknowledged her "womanly" developments (aside from her time of the month, something impossible for her to miss), but the male partyers took immediate notice. Many of them would approach her, offering her drinks and trying to get her some place private. But Ashi, with no experience in flirting, simply dismissed the strangers. But the drinks they gave her definitely helped her enjoy the party, as well as taking the edge off after such a stressful routine. The only men Ashi got intimate with at parties were a Mr. Daniels, a captain, and one of the founding fathers, and they were all very good to her.

Ashi spent the next three years going through the motions like this: work during the day, class at night, and excessive alcohol consumption on the weekends. It was sustainable for a while, but her performance at work and in class soon began to suffer; both her Mother and her professors took note, the former scolding her for her poor work ethic. The lack of nepotism was once again apparent, as Ashi's Mother threatened her job if she didn't pick up her slack. Her professors warned her that if she didn't get her grades up, she wouldn't pass the semester. And drinking was doing nothing to solve these problems accept push them to the back of her mind for the time being.

Ashi finally decided she needed a change. The next few weeks, she spent her free time at work looking up Universities with much cheaper tuition, but one that wouldn't be too much trouble to get to. Eventually she settled on the University of Burlington, with a tuition nearly a quarter of what it was at Pennsylvania, it was only some ways up north from there as well. But getting there was another issue. She could always take a bus or train, but maybe it was time to tap into her…parental influence. Ashi took out her cell phone, hit speed dial number 1, and waited for her Father to pick up.

Having agreed to send his "top assistant" to drive her up to Vermont, Ashi finished up her business in Pennsylvania. Classes were finished by this point, and Ashi managed to pass her finals, if just barely. She spent the next week working extra hours, and as painful as it was, she had a good amount of money saved up at this point; enough to find decent place in Burlington, and to cover the first semester's tuition at her new school until she found work up there. She had officially transferred her credits to Burlington, and now she simply needed to wait for Derek and his entourage to pick her up.

When the car pulled up, however, the person who got out was certainly not Derek. Instead, a rather tall, lanky man in a purple zoot suit and an orange ascot stepped out, apparently unaware how outdated his ensemble was. He had dark skin with high cheek bones, a thin black mustache, and short black hair under a dark blue, wide-rim fedora.

He went up to her, took off his hat and bowed to her; "Mademoiselle, allow me to introduce myself! I'm Skylar Mooney, better known as, SCARAMOUCHE!" he shouted flamboyantly with his arms outstretched, then went to shake her hand. "Pleasure to meet ya, babe!"

Ashi shook his hand, looking at him warily. "Scaramouche" (what's with these guys and nicknames?) then took her bags for her, putting them in the trunk as she got in the passenger seat. He closed the trunk and hopped back into the driver's seat' "Buckle up, babe! We're in this for the long haul, OH YEAH!" He shouted as they sped off toward the expressway.

But what happened to Derek, wasn't he the top assistant? Maybe Skylar had answers so she decided to inquire him about it. "Hey, what happened to Derek? Usually my Dad sends him…not that I'm ungrateful about you doing this, I'm just curious."

Scaramouche looked at her curiously, the name didn't ring a bell to him, but when Ashi clarified that she was talking about "Demongo", it all came back to him. "OH YEAH, I remember that guy! He got busted a looong time ago, I'm surprised you haven't heard about it."

This was news to Ashi, "Wait, what do you mean "busted"? What happened to him?"

"Well this happened before your Dad hired me, so I only know this through hearsay, but _apparently_ , he had an entourage of ex-felons that were working off book, and apparently they weren't too willing. He'd been plucking them straight out of prison, even before their sentences were up; too bad there's no one to do that for him now, eh?" Ashi thought back to all the scary men Derek surrounded himself with, and the news that they were all convicts made sense to her.

Skylar spoke up again, "It's actually kind of funny, where he got busted is where we're headed right now! Ain't that a coinky dink?" It certainly was a coincidence, it seemed her Father and his associates had a lot more ties to Burlington than she was aware of. "Your Dad's been to that place multiple times the past few years; apparently he had kind of a feud going with one of the cops that busted Demongo, but it's been over for a while now. Your Dad made a couple power moves, and eventually that cop overstepped his boundaries and got arrested himself! I think the charges got dropped or something, but I haven't anything new about him. The guy probably skipped town, what a disgrace he must feel like! Plus, your Father hasn't been back there in a year or so, I hope you didn't expect to see him, babe." That wasn't a joke, but Ashi still found it funny; when did she ever expect to see her Dad? Maybe on a TV ad or a billboard, but rarely in person.

Everything Skylar told her about happened in the city Ashi was intending to make her new home, and the fact that her Father had such a presence there made her uncertain if she was making the best choice. While she wasn't about to abort the whole thing, she was definitely going to keep quiet about her relation to him.

Skylar broke her train of thought when he spoke up, "So this is all news to you, your Father never told you any of this?" He asked, suddenly wondering whether he's said too much.

Ashi scoffed, "He never tells me anything about what he does, I wouldn't even believe he had a job if his face wasn't plastered all over the place. I could get a better update on his work from a newspaper than from him. It's like he's got this double life or something, and he always puts his business before his family. He could at least have the decency to give his daughter a lift somewhere, but instead he sends you—no offense."

Skylar waved his hand dismissively, "None taken, babe."

She continued, "It's just…sometimes I feel like he only takes care of me when it suits him; like I'm just another employee he has to manage." She looked ahead solemnly, and Skylar didn't know how to respond, so they sat in silence for a good five minutes.

Eventually, he spoke up again, "So, ya like jazz?" he said, switching on the car stereo. Suddenly a funky but blaring tune started playing through the speakers; drums, a bass guitar, and a frenzied flute played a jazzy melody that was all over the place. To Ashi's surprise, Skylar started scatting along with it. She had to admit, he was pretty good. But the novelty was bound to wear off before their journey was through, and after a while, Ashi wished she had taken the bus.

About eight hours and seven freeform jazz CDs later, they arrived in Burlington. Ashi was pleased with the scenery as they entered Vermont, and was looking forward to the many excursions she would go on in the many woods and mountains not far from the city.

As for residence, she briefly considered living on campus since she was attending classes anyway, but decided against it; Ashi had been commuting to her old school all this time, might as well keep the streak going. They found her a nice apartment in the University District, so at least she was close to campus. She was fully prepared to make the down payment herself, but Skylar insisted that AKu gave him specific instructions to cover her initial living expenses. He also gave her a check for five thousand dollars, signed by her Dad, which she reluctantly accepted. At least she would be able to focus on school, and hold off on job hunting for a while.

Once Ashi was settled in, Skylar said "au revoir" to her and left for who knows where. This was the first time she was living truly on her own, instead of always just feeling like she was. The possibilities for what she could do now excited her; the only schedule she had to live off of was her classes, which she could actually take during the day now. She was free to decorate her new home however she pleased, and she could go wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted. The new-found freedom reminded her of when she first started living in California with her Dad, but the memory of those times saddened her a bit. She missed feeling like everything was falling into place, and the fact that she felt a similar way now made her wary.

That uncertainty ended up reflecting in Ashi's behavior. Outside of classes, she never went out or made friends; only going out on weekends to local bars. Her Father had been sending weekly checks, enough for her to afford a living, which robbed her of any motivation to look for work. The days began to bleed into each other; she rarely left her apartment, only for class or to buy something essential. Otherwise, she just ordered in. It didn't take long for the local sushi place to get her order memorized; now, she only had to say her name over the phone and they would get right on it.

Finally, she finished her last semester, passed all of her finals and got her Bachelor's in Natural Science. It didn't make her feel any better though, it only meant that now Ashi really had nothing to do; she wanted to pull her hair out, something had to change.

Ashi finally decided to go to a bar for the first time in a while, as she had been drinking alone in her apartment as of late. Not the most monumental change of pace, but it was a start. She found this modest place downtown, called "Da Samoorai's Pad"; the spelling of "Samurai" was a turn off for her, but not enough to deter her from going in. Ashi bought a light beer and went to sit at one of the high tables on the left side of the room. From here, she had a good view of the college students who were clearly having the time of their lives. They were chugging beers while crossing arms, playing all sorts of drinking games, and some were getting rather intimate.

Ashi watched a frat boy in a tank top as he mingled with a sorority girl, and they seemed to be hitting it off. Moments later, their faces were locked in a messy struggle, and the girl was running her fingers through the boy's gelled hair. Something about this bothered her; she had never concerned herself with boys, she never had the time for such trivialities. Puberty definitely made that sort of thing hard to ignore, but it's not like she met that many guys anyway. There were a couple guys in her classes that seemed to show interest in her, and she would talk to them over text for days, but once it came up who her Father was, they would make themselves scarce. Yet another reason she hated being a daughter of AKu.

Suddenly, someone behind her slammed his hands down on the table, and she and the rest of the bar turned to see a large Scottish man, screaming at the guy with a beard seated next to him. She could barely understand his accent or his Scottish colloquialisms, but what she got out of it was that he wanted his friend the bearded guy to meet someone. He should've told him to shave, too, she thought.

But after the Scottish man stormed into the bathroom, poked his head out, then went back in, Ashi turned back to look down at her drink. That guy seemed to be in a similar predicament to her, but the difference between them was that he had a loud friend to encourage him to change. That was probably what she needed to, someone who cared about her enough to make her do what was best for herself. Her whole life she had to be that person for herself, but after all these years, she had stopped paying attention to her own advice. She had always been alone, and now she was finally realizing that.

What broke her train of that was a man that stepped into her line of sight, and a weak "hello"; she looked up from her glass to see the bearded man, looking at her through tired eyes and a couple hairs that hung over his face. Something about that look seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place it.

She raised an eyebrow, responding with a careful "hello" of her own.

—END CHAPTER 3—

/


	5. The Reunion

—CHAPTER 4—

The girl replied, "Hello", looking at Jack warily.

Good start, but where should he go from here? He could offer to buy her a drink, but that might make it seem like he trying to score. Plus, a lot of girls were touchy about that sort of thing nowadays; she might get offended that he assumed she needs a man to buy her things.

While Jack thought of what to say, he was sort of just staring at her. Her eyes darted back and forth uncomfortably, then back at him with her brow raised expectantly. This brought him back to attention, and he quickly blurted out "AREYOUALONE?"

"W-What?" she stammered, overwhelmed by his sudden reaction.

Jack pulled it together, "I-I mean, would you…" How should he word this? "…like some company?" Yeah, that works.

Her eyes squinted a bit, probably contemplating his offer. "…Sssssureeeee", she said with blatant uncertainty. He put his drink on the table and climbed onto the tall chair. "Thank you" he smiled shyly, and she returned it.

But now they were back to the awkward silence, both of them looking around nervously. Her fingers tapped the table, and she held her chin in her palm. Jack knew he was losing her, but he needed some motivation; he took a big swig of his liquor and cleared his throat, "So, are you, uh…from around here?"

She shifted so that her forearms were crossed on the table, "No, I moved here from Pennsylvania, where I worked at my Mom's company. I used to live in California with my—well, at my Dad's house, but Pennsylvania is where I'm from originally."

Jack perked up a bit, "Oh, you're from Pennsylvania? Me too; do you know of Lancaster?"

She nodded, "That's my hometown."

Jack blinked; could it really be…? He finally asked, "What is your name?" Her response brought everything flooding back to him.

"Ashi."

This was her. That girl, the one who always looked so unhappy. The one who never smiled at him, and rebuked his politeness. Here she was, nineteen year-later, still sporting that hairstyle she wore every day. The familiarity of it all gave him pangs of nostalgia. He wondered if she would know who he was.

"Ashi, do you know me? My name is Jack, we were in the same martial arts class. Do you remember that?" he looked at her expectantly as she squinted.

Ashi met his eyes, and then hers widened as the realization hit her. All of the memories came flooding back to her, but so did the feelings of envy. Sitting in front of her was the boy she used to know, the one that she could never defeat; the one who had two loving, supportive parents by his side; the one who always friendly and smiled at her, even though she outwardly despised him. That fact alone stopped her from leaping over the table and pouncing on him Imakandi-style.

Of course, he barely resembled the bright-eyed boy she once knew anymore; the years had obviously taken their toll on Jack. He wasn't wearing a top knot anymore, and looked like he hadn't shaved in a year. Ashi was pretty confident she could take him now, though he didn't exactly look out of shape. He didn't have bulging stomach or anything, and his arms were clearly defined through the sleeves of the collared shirt he wore. Maybe he could still hold his own.

It was at this point she remembered that Jack was still sitting across from her, waiting for confirmation. "Jack! Yes! I remember you. It's been a while, hasn't it?" she acknowledged, and he agreed. "Indeed, it certainly is serendipitous that we both ended up here. What neighborhood do you live in?"

"The University District, I was attending classes after I transferred from Pennsylvania; I actually graduated a couple months ago." As Ashi was speaking, Jack saw over her shoulder that Scotsman had returned to his seat, and was watching intently. "Oh, congratulations! What did you study while you were there?" he said as Scotsman winked and gave him thumbs up.

"I studied Natural science. I've always loved nature, and I figured it was the most lucrative field to go into. Not that I'm doing anything with my degree at this point", she joked.

Jack chuckled, "Well, at least you're not in a job you hate. Trust me, it is worse than unemployment."

Ashi frowned at his change in tone, "Is that how you feel about your job now?"

"It is less than ideal, I'll admit," he let out a small sigh, "A nine to five shift at a second-rate grocery store. If money were no object, I would be nowhere near that place."

"If money were no object". The words resonated with Ashi, and she wondered how different her life would have been if that were the case. She inquired, "How long have you been working there?" as she took a sip of her beer.

"At least a year now. It was the only place that would hire me these days. Before that though, I was a beat cop, and my friend over there was my partner." Ashi turned to see Scotsman, who still had his eyes glued to them. Awkward. He waggled his fingers at her with a big smile, and she forced one and waved back.

Ashi noticed how Jack seemed to lighten up when he spoke of his old job, so she pressed further. "So, what happened? How come you're not still on the force?" Jack's scowl came back, and she suddenly felt she made a mistake.

"I quit because I disagreed with the new mode of operation we adopted. Our new commissioner was impeding our work in apprehending criminals, and it's all because of AKu."

Wait, what? Jack ended up quitting a job he loved…because of her Father? Why did this scenario ring a bell? "What do you mean by that?" she asked, wanting to know more.

Jack continued, "AKu has a lot of influence around here, which you might've already noticed." Yeah, she definitely knew that. "He has friends on both sides of the law, and he wanted to keep me from meddling in their affairs. But after I quit the force, I kept up with my 'meddling' as a private investigator of sorts, while doing labor here and there for people in my neighborhood to stay afloat."

By the time he had finished speaking, Ashi had figured it out. Jack was the one Scaramouche told her about; the ex-cop who once butted heads with AKu. HE was the Samurai, and her Father ruined his life. But why? She needed answers, and Jack had them. "So…what happened between then and now?"

He put down the glass he was taking increasingly bigger sips from, and spoke wearily. "I, uh…it's a long story, but suffice to say I made a mistake, and almost ended up on the wrong side of the law. I was acquitted, thankfully, but that didn't matter. I was blacklisted from every place I used to work. I had been abandoned by all of my friends and neighbors, and to this day they still don't associate with me. Aside from Scotsman, I am utterly alone."

Ashi didn't know what to say, so she settled with an apology, "I'm so sorry". She had known that feeling her entire life, and now the boy who once possessed everything she didn't, was confessing to her that he felt the same way. She wanted to tell him everything about her life, the whole story; if anyone would understand how she felt, it was him.

But then Ashi remembered something crucial: AKu was the man who had brought this misery upon him, and she was his daughter. Every guy she ever met had been scared off when they found out who her Father was, but if Jack knew? He would absolutely hate her for sure. She didn't want to go through that; he would see he was wasting his time and be done with her, so Ashi decided to beat him to the punch.

They were sitting in silence again, so she used this opportunity to check her phone. It was quarter past midnight, and she DID have quite a walk back home… "Hey, um… it's pretty late. I think I'm going to head out."

Jack started to get up, "Oh, do you need a ride home? I can give you a ride on my-"

But Ashi cut him off. "No, no. Thank you, but I don't mind the walk."

Jack smiled; walking was his preferred transportation as well, so he understood her decision. "Very well. Then I guess I'll see you around, yes?"

Ashi wasn't sure about that, but she smiled back regardless. "Y-Yeah, I think so. Well, see ya."

She started to walk out, but Jack called out; "Ashi," She turned to look at him, "It was…nice, seeing you again."

"Yeah, same here…take care of yourself, Jack", she replied with a sad smile, and walked out the bar door.

Scotsman watched as Ashi left the bar, leaving Jack sitting by himself; he immediately got up and rushed over to him, nearly knocking down a few patrons on the way. "What happened!?" he shouted passionately at Jack, "It looked like you two were hittin' it off, why'd she skedaddle?"

Jack shrugged, "She said it was late, and she had to go. It's not my place to stop her from leaving."

His friend shook his head, "Ah, bullocks! Well, you gave it yer best shot, laddie. So, you wanna go another round?" He gestured to the empty mug in his hand, but Jack declined.

"No thank you, I think it may be time for me to leave as well.

Scotsman agreed, "Aye, me wife's probably waitin' up for me, I'll follow you out."

Both men paid off their tabs, said goodnight to Sam, and walked out the door. Scotsman turned to Jack, "You're okay to drive home, yeah?" and he affirmed, "Yes, I only had the one drink." They said their goodbyes, and walked off in opposite directions towards their respective vehicles. Jack's ride was parked a few blocks down the street, around a corner; all the parking spots right in front of Da Samoorai's Pad were taken when he first arrived.

Jack was walking along when he heard a commotion coming from up ahead. Advancing further, he came to an alley between two older buildings, and peeked around the corner to see a handful of large men surrounding a familiar woman. It was Ashi, and they were clearly harassing her. Jack was about to jump into action when he remembered where he was headed, and decided to take a different approach.

He would have to be quick though, something could happen to her in the time he took to prepare. He quickly snuck past the alley, then ran another block to the corner where he had parked earlier.

/

Ashi had mixed feelings about that night.

It had been nineteen years since she last saw Jack, and she wasn't very fond of him back then. But now he was a very different person. The past few years had not kind to him, and he was no longer the positive, youthful boy she remembered. She actually felt guilty about it, knowing her Father had a hand in his fate. It reminded Ashi how little she actually knew about her Father's actions.

She really wanted to give him her number before she left the bar; seeing Jack reminded her of a much simpler time, and he was still as polite and friendly as ever, albeit with much less enthusiasm. Ashi had a pleasant time speaking to him, and he seemed to reciprocate. But those pleasantries wouldn't have helped her had he known the truth about her: She was a daughter of AKu. There was no way he would be okay with that, so as much as she wanted to stay and talk with him, she had to give it up.

Ashi was walking down the sidewalk; the University District was quite far from Da Samoorai's Pad, but the distance didn't deter Ashi. Up ahead, she saw a group of four men posted against an older building. They were tall and rugged, dressed a little too coordinated for it to be coincidental, and they seemed to be watching her approach. Instead of passing them, Ashi turned down the alley to her right. She had to cross over at some point anyway, so this seemed like the best time.

As she turned down the alley, she noticed the men started walking in her direction. She was getting nervous now, and brought her pace up to a speed walk. She turned to see the men coming down the alley behind her, but failed to notice the man stepping out from behind the dumpster. She stopped just before she walked into him, stepping back to look up at him. He was dressed similarly to the men who were now blocking the end of the alley she had come from.

The man who had been waiting in the alley spoke in a gruff voice. "Well, what do we have here? You look a little lost, sweetheart. Maybe my friend's and I could help you out?"

Ashi sneered at him, "No thank you, I know my way around this city", and tried to push past him, but he forced her back into the ever-closing circle of men.

"Hey, hey, what's the rush? Here we are, trying to offer a helping hand, and you're just gonna shut us down like that? Where's your manners, girl?"

The man to her left butted in, "Maybe she keeps them in here", as he reached for her purse. Ashi quickly reacted, intercepting his hand and putting it behind his back, then shoving him against the wall. Another of the assailants came behind her and tried to restrain her in a bearhug, but she stomped hard on his foot, elbowed him in the gut, and managed to flip him over her shoulder and onto the ground.

The others were now a bit intimidated by this deceptively tough woman, but before they could go at her themselves, everyone stopped as they heard a loud revving coming from the other end of the alley. Suddenly, a bright light beamed at them, and a motorcycle came barreling down the alley. It made a donut around Ashi, pushing the thugs back against the brick buildings, and stopped in front of her. It was Jack, who gestured with his head, "Get on"; no time to think, Ashi hopped onto the bike seat behind him. "Hang on", he warned, and she firmly put her arms around his waist. The bike's engine growled as the wheels spun, kicking up loose gravel, and they sped off.

They rode for a few blocks, turning down a side street and pulling over to get their bearings. Ashi carefully got off the bike, trying to hide how much she was shaken by the whole ordeal; mostly the part when Jack showed up, as the motorcycle scared the hell out of her. Jack let go of the handlebars and brought his right leg over, so that he was no longer straddling the bike, but leaning against it.

Ashi stood there for a minute, processing everything that just happened, until Jack spoke up; "Are you alright?" he said in a mildly apathetic tone, but Ashi could see the genuine concern in his eyes. Suddenly, she got a flashback of that last tournament nineteen years ago, and the memory of those feelings injected a hint of venom into her response. "Yes, I was handling things just fine before you butted in", she said, crossing her arms and turning up her nose.

Jack looked a little dejected at her reply, and now she felt bad at her ungratefulness. "B-But, I'm glad you did. That was a pretty hairy situation, thank you." She flashed him a genuine smile, and he perked up a bit.

"So…I would understand if you still wish to walk, but I still wouldn't mind giving you a lift, if you would feel safer that way." Jack suggested. Ashi thought about it for a second, then realized how tired she was after he scuffle; walking home would be a real pain at this point. She took him up on his offer and they got back on the bike, headed towards Ashi's apartment.

They arrived at Ashi's apartment, and she got off the bike much more confidently this time around. Jack looked at her, "Well, here we are. I guess I'll see you…" He was about to restart the bike's engine, but Ashi asked him to wait a moment. She pulled a little slip of paper and a pen out of her purse, wrote down her number, and handed him the note.

Not really sure what to do from there, she simply said, "You should, uh…text me, sometime."

Jack stared blankly at the slip of paper, then saw her staring at him expectantly, "S-Sure, sounds good!" They smiled at each other for a moment, until Ashi finally said goodnight; she walked up the stoop to her front door, as he watched her go.

Jack looked at the little slip of paper in his hand; seven digits next to her name, but no last name. He liked to have those in his contacts, he would have to ask her about that later. But that thought was pushed back by the butterflies he had just noticed fluttering around in his stomach.

He sped off on his bike, smiling to himself. This could be the start of something, but only time would tell him what that was.

—END CHAPTER 4—

/


	6. The Next Day

—CHAPTER 5—

 _Running._

 _Running._

 _Running._

 _Jack was running down a long, dark corridor. Cut, bruised, and half-naked, he gripped the handle of a broken axe tightly. The seemingly endless corridor sharply turned left and right, and Jack balanced himself against the stone walls as he turned the corners._

 _Running._

 _Running._

 _Runni-WATCH OUT!_

 _Suddenly, a masked figure swung at him with a katana, which he just barely dodged. The mysterious figure was relentless, swiping at from all angles, and his toothless weapon was starting to weaken. He had to make a move._

 _As the last swing cut the axe, he rushed the assassin, pushing the katana aside. Jack headed butted them into the wall, and their mask cracked. He pried the sword out of their hand, spun around and swung, slicing the assailant's neck with the blade. The cut made a gruesome sound, and the figure collapsed. As blood spilled from the cut, her mask fell off…_

 _…Ashi!?_

/

Jack awoke with a start, gasping for air.

He looked around his room desperately, as if searching for something. But everything seemed to be in order; he realized it was all just a dream, and sighed.

Not long after getting out of bed, Jack had just finished brushing his teeth when there was a loud knock on the door. He groggily walked over and opened the door to reveal a hulking figure, but not the one he liked to see.

It was his landlord, Mr. Owen, looking for this month's rent. Jack suddenly remembered it was the first of the month; better late than never. A stoic man, he always said the same thing when the rent was due, and this time was no different; in his usual deep register, "It is time."

Jack reached for his wallet, and ended up pinching his boxers; looks like the half-naked part wasn't a dream, how convenient. He looked up at his landlord and held up his index finger, "One moment, please."

Before Mr. Owen could interject, Jack closed the door on him and ran to get himself together. He grabbed a plain white tee and a pair of jeans from his drawer, holding the shirt in his mouth as he hopped down the hall, trying to put on the pants. He was clothed at least, but he still needed his wallet; oh right, it was still on the nightstand. Back to his room he went, picking up the wallet and digging inside for the rent money…which wasn't there. Jack was surprised a moth didn't flutter out of it.

Then he remembered that he kept the rent money separate, in a locked box somewhere in his kitchen cabinets. He started opening all the cabinets and draws, always unsure which one contained the box. He finally found it on one of the higher shelves slid it off, only to pull a collection of papers underneath down with it.

Jack picked up the stack of papers, only to see a collection of familiar drawings and doodles. His samurai counterpart stared at him from the page, reminding him of the person he thought he was. It used to fill him with determination, but now it only made him depressed. He also found the sword charm amidst the scattered papers, yet another painful reminder of his forgotten purpose.

Mr. Owen's loud knocks snapped him out of his reflective trance. He quickly pulled a small stack of cash from the rent box, opened the front door and handed it to the landlord. The man snatched the money, counting it before putting it in his back pocket, and walking away without another word; he wasn't very personable.

Jack closed the door and walked over to the couch, which he promptly plopped down on. The rent box only had enough for a couple more payments, and that was all the money he had at that point. Looks like he would be spending more time at his crappy job, which he suddenly realized he was about to be late to. He quickly jumped up, grabbed his bike keys off the kitchen counter, and ran out the door.

/

Ashi stepped outside her apartment, and watched the trees that lined the street sway along with the breeze.

Today was Sunday, the day Ashi always went to stock up on groceries from the store. She caught the bus and got off downtown, where all the stores she liked to visit were; now that it was day time, she wasn't worried about getting mugged again, or worse. But that was hardly the first thing on her mind.

Ashi was on her way, heading to her usual grocery store, and all she could think about was last night. It had been so long since she even thought about Jack, and back then he was the bane of her existence. But things were different now, for both of them. She was no longer vying for her Mother's acceptance, but still felt like she was missing something, and Jack was a shadow of the boy she used to envy. They both were, in a sense, lost. Maybe with each other's help, she thought, they could find their way again.

But Ashi remembered what discouraged her in the first place. Jack and AKu were apparently mortal enemies, and that bad blood ran through her veins; what would Jack think if he found out who her Father was? That fact had ruined so many other potential relationships before, and Ashi wasn't prepared for it to ruin this one.

She kept walking along, lost in thought, until her gaze drifted to the shopping center she was about to pass. There was a supermarket, "Sheriff Mart", that had clearly not been well-maintained; the neon was visible on half the letters of the sign, overhang below was missing shingles here and there, and the color of the bricks had likely faded long ago.

Ashi would have walked away with slight disgust at this point, but she suddenly remembered what Jack said about his current job. A run-down supermarket certainly fit the description of the store in front of her, and sure enough, she saw Jack's motorcycle in the parking lot. He must be on his shift right now, she could go in and say hello…but should she? They had just seen each other last night and she gave him her number, but he was probably going to wait three days to text her; that was the etiquette for this type of thing, or so he had heard.

But she didn't want to wait that long, what if something happened in those three days that caused him to forget about her? What if he met some new, prettier girl, and she was super into him? What if he lost her number and wasn't able to contact her, and they never ran into each other again?

Then again, maybe she would be coming on too strong if she went in to see him at work; he might think she was a stalker or something. And of course, the AKu thing was still an issue, and it made her rethink everything over and over. This was suddenly a really stressful decision.

Ashi stood there on the sidewalk, carefully weighing her options, until finally she came to a conclusion: she had to do food shopping anyway, so she would buy her things here at Sheriff's Mart (despite how gross it looked), and if she ran into jack on the job (which she was secretly hoping), she'd play it off as a coincidence. She took a deep breath, and walked across the parking lot to the store's entrance.

The automatic doors were painted to look like those saloon doors that would swing open as people passed through, even though they were just sliding doors. Ashi walked in as they opened with an ear-splitting squeak, and immediately thought that the store's outward appearance reflected the inside. The overhead lights were dingy, flickering and buzzing; merchandise was strewn about sloppily, clearly misplaced among the aisles; there were so many dried-stains of varying shades on the ground, she almost mistook them as part of the floor pattern. Surprisingly, there was a decent number of people shopping there. The three cashiers stationed up front (none of which were Jack) had a steady stream of customers.

Ashi was thoroughly disgusted at this point, but she had shopping to do (and hopefully, someone to see), so she grabbed a hand basket and started at aisle 1. She had a grocery list on her phone, but was barely focusing on it as she scoped the aisles for a familiar bearded face. She finally found him in aisle 6, carefully taking items from a cart and arranging them neatly on the shelves. Jack had on a simple white short-sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans; it seemed his uniform was just a nametag and a brown apron with the store's logo on it.

Watching him from the end of the aisle, Ashi was unsure how to go about initiating the encounter, when a frazzled-looking woman came shuffling past her into the aisle. Ashi and Jack watched as the woman clumsily perused the items he had just placed on the shelf, knocking things onto the floor as she searched for something in particular; reaching all the way to the back of the display and picking a product out from there, she walked away without making an effort to clean up the mess she made. Jack looked visibly frustrated by this, so Ashi stepped in to help him pick up the fallen merchandise. He had yet to notice Ashi's presence, but finally became aware of it when they both reached for the same box on the floor, accidentally touching hands.

They looked up and locked eyes with each other, and in that moment, time itself seemed to stop moving. Jack was first to break out of their shared hypnosis, his surprise catching up with him; "A-Ashi? What are you doing here?" he asked, breaking her out as well.

Ashi stammered, "O-Oh hi, Jack! What a coincidence that I ended up in this place you work, am I right?" she laughed nervously, and he joined her out of pure confusion. She still had to explain herself though, but she didn't want to lie to him either; "Well…I was in the area to do some food shopping, and I noticed this place that you told me about. You said it was terrible, so I decided to see how bad it was for myself." That was pretty much the truth, minus the part where she came in to see Jack, specifically.

"And?" was Jack's response. And? And what? Did he know she was lying? Did he want to hear her admit that she only entered this pitiful establishment to see him? Before she could die from embarrassment, he added, "Did I not tell you how horrible this place is? I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was probably an understatement."

Ashi sighed deeply in her mind, that was terrifying. "No, you played it down pretty convincingly. Although, words could never do justice to this travesty", Ashi spoke nearly under her breath as another odd-looking customer came by, sniffing the kind of product you normally wouldn't.

Jack blinked at the sight, then turned back to Ashi; "Yeah, and as you can see, the customer base fits the aesthetic quite well." They both laughed at this, until they heard someone Jack's manager shouting at him from the other end of the aisle.

"JACKWHAYUDOINSITTINROUNGABBINWITDATDERPURDYGURLYOUGITBACKTADOINWORKPUTTINDEMITEMSONDATDERSHELFORIMGONBEONYOULIKSNAKESKINONABOOTSTRAPYAHERDME!?" Ashi had absolutely no idea what the portly man had said, only that he was dressed like an old western sheriff, and he was clearly very angry.

Jack got the message though; "Yes, sir", he responded dryly, and got back to what he was doing.

Ashi rubbed her arm, and looked at jack apologetically. "I'm sorry, this is probably a bad time. I should leave you to it…" She started to walk away, but Jack stopped her.

"No, it's fine, really. He does that all the time, even when I am working." He ran his fingers through his long hair, "Listen, I get off at five. Would you like to…do something? Later?" He asked, sheepishly.

Ashi's eyes lit up, but she tried her best not to sound too excited. "Yeah, that sounds…nice. What did you have in mind?"

Now it was Jack's turn to search for an answer. Think, what was a thing to do with someone—a girl—you wanted to spend time with? They could go to dinner, or was that too serious? What about a movie? Seemed like a good idea for a first date…it was going to be a date, right? Whatever, movie it is. Hopefully she would go for it.

"Uh, how does a movie sound?" asked Jack, mentally crossing his fingers.

Ashi smiled softly at him; "A movie sounds wonderful", she beamed.

Jack was having a difficult time suppressing his excitement, "Great! So, I'll uh…text you when I get off then." They stared at each other once again, but comfortably now.

Ashi was the one to break away first this time. "Well, I should really get my shopping done. I guess I'll see you later."

She started down the aisle, as Jack responded, "Yes, of course! …Bye." She turned the corner, but popped her head back over just to say, "Bye", as well.

Jack returned to his work with a huge grin. The rest of the workday flew by.

—END CHAPTER 5—

/


	7. The First Date

—CHAPTER 6—

Ashi stared at the various shirts and dresses in her closet.

She was never one to care about her fashion sense, but now she was really wishing she knew more about her wardrobe. All of these nice outfits her Father bought her, and she had no idea what she wanted to wear.

Ashi didn't want to dress too fancy; Jack was a modest man, after all. He wouldn't be impressed by luxury and fortune, she knew he was better than that. She decided to dress quite close to how she normally would; she had on a collared jean vest over a striped long sleeve shirt, black leggings tucked into tall dark boots, and a beige scarf. It was starting to get cold at night.

Looking at herself in the mirror, satisfied, she took out her phone to check the time. Quarter past five, that meant Jack had been off work for fifteen minutes. He hasn't texted her yet though, maybe he was stuck in traffic? Or he could just be waiting until after he gets ready?

It hardly mattered, she thought. Jack was definitely going to text her soon…right?

/

Five minutes now.

Jack had spent the last five minutes staring at his cell phone. It sat there innocently on the counter, but Jack stood there petrified.

The minute his shift was over, Jack ditched his apron and sped home, barely avoiding the evening rush. Getting back in record time, he burst into his apartment, tossing his phone, wallet, and keys onto the counter, and began undressing as he made his way down the hall towards his room. Once he was nude, he jumped in the shower and cleaned as thoroughly as he could. After the shower, Jack brushed his teeth with equal care.

As he put his toothbrush away, his electric razor plugged into the wall, caught his eye. He stroked his beard, finally realizing how long the tool had been dormant. But shaving now would be too drastic a change, he thought. Besides, she didn't seem to mind his appearance all that much.

Jack dried himself off and went to pick out something to wear; he finally settled on a light blue cotton shirt, half-buttoned over a white tee that was tucked into his grey jeans. He slipped on his brown dress shoes and he was ready for… well, he still wasn't sure if it was officially a date, but he was ready for it regardless. He took one last look at himself in the mirror, actually content with his appearance for once, and went to his cell phone.

All he had to do now was pick it up, text Ashi, and then…then what? As a matter of fact, what was he actually going to text her? Would a simple "hello" suffice? It had been established that they had plans to see a movie, but they never agreed on a specific time. Past five, sure, and it was now eighteen after; maybe he should be assertive and say he was ready to go. But she might not have been ready yet; maybe she had just started getting ready AT five, and wasn't even close to done? Girls were very thorough in their preparations, and the last thing he wanted to do was rush her. But then again, he didn't want to assume Ashi was going to take so much time to prepare just for him. She was always a modest girl, he thought. And again, it wasn't explicitly agreed to be a date!

Jack stood there, staring at his cell phone, as his mind drowned in a sea of possibilities; then it went off, startling him, and he glanced at the caller ID. Thankfully, it wasn't Ashi asking where he was, but Scotsman, having not checked in on his friend since they went out last night. After a deep sigh of relief, Jack picked up the phone.

"Hello—"

" _THERE HE IS, THE LASS KILLER HIMSELF!_ " Scotsman blared through the phone, forcing Jack to hold it away from his ear for a moment. The Scottish amplifier continued, but at a less damaging volume. " _So, how ya been since we left the bar? Ya musta gotten home alright if yer pickin' up now. Ya worked today, didn'cha?_ "

Jack moved a hair out of his face, "Well, it's been an interesting time since you last saw me, to say the least." He would've continued speaking, had he not been so used to his friend's interruptions by now.

" _Oh really? Well come on then, Laddie! Tell me all about it!_ " He playfully demanded.

Jack told him what happened as he was walking home, how he rescued Ashi from a group of thugs and got her number, followed by how he ran into her at his job, and finally that they ended up making plans. "…and now before you called, I was just about, um, text her." Jack prepared for overwhelming enthusiasm from his friend, but all he heard was silence from the other end. What he couldn't see was the Scotsman sitting on the other line making an expression reminiscent of a squealing fangirl. Jack wasn't used to him being this quiet for so long; Jack's "Hello?" brought his friend back to attention, while also granting him a realization.

" _So, let me get this straight; you've got a hot date with a pretty girl that ya knew when both a ya were wee kiddies, and you've just been sitting there, twiddlin' yer thumbs, waitin' for what? An invitiation? Are ye completely daft?_ "

Jack interjected, "W-Well, we never said it was a 'date', per-se…", but his friend wouldn't have it.

" _SHUT IT! Now here's what's gonna happen: I'm goin' to hang up this phone, and then YOU are gonna hold onto yers, and then yer gonna dial that girl's number, call her—not text, CALL—and tell her that yer on yer way to her place, to show her the best damn time she's ever had! GOT IT!?_ "

Jack stared blankly as his friend went on, finally giving a response, "Y-Yes, I'll…I'll do that."

" _Good! And if tonight goes well, then tomorrow, ye can propose!_ " Propose!? Where is he getting that from? The mere mention of that kind of commitment so soon filled him with dread. After a pause, Scotsman laughed, " _HAHAHAA, I knew that'd getcha nerve's goin'! I'm just messin with ya! Now go woo yer dream girl, partner!_ " And promptly ended the call.

Jack knew his friend was right, time to stop overthinking this. He quickly dialed Ashi's number, took a deep breath, and hit send. It rang a couple times, and she picked up. It sounded like she started to speak, but then there was a pause.

Finally, she spoke, "Hello?"

"Ashi! Hello! Er…how are you?" he asked shakily, but she responded confidently.

"I'm doing well. Are we still on for the movies?" she inquired.

"A-Absolutely! I had just finished getting ready actually. If you're ready as well, I can come…now…to get you." Jack spoke as though he were doing a hostage negotiation, careful not to ruin the exchange.

"Yeah, I'm ready! Do you remember how to get to my apartment?" she asked, but Jack assured her he knew the way. After all, he played that night over and over in his head to remember how he got back to his place from hers.

"Do not worry, I remember the way. So, I'm going to leave now…okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay! So, I'll see you in a bit then. Uh, Bye."

"Sounds great, see you soon!" And they both hung up, each with a sigh of relief. Jack grabbed a light jacket out of his closet, his keys and wallet off the counter, and headed out.

/

About ten minutes later, Jack pulled up to Ashi's apartment.

He texted her to let her know he had arrived, and posted up against his motorcycle until she came down. She finally emerged from the front door of the apartment building, and Jack watched intently as she walked down the steps towards him. Ashi stood there for a moment as Jack remained entranced, unsure why he was just staring at her; "Uh…shall we?" she suggested, and Jack shook himself out of it.

"O-Oh yes, hop on." They both mounted the motorcycle, Ashi once again wrapping her arms around Jack's waist. The engine roared and the bike launched forward, headed towards downtown.

The movie theater was pretty crowded for a Sunday night. They found a spot in the far-left end of the parking lot; Jack waited for Ashi to get off the bike before he himself hopped off, and they both started towards the theater. As they approached the building, they saw a line of people stretching around the corner of the building. "It sure is crowded right now," Ashi wondered aloud, and Jack agreed.

Curious, he asked a boy standing in line, "Excuse me, what is everyone waiting in line for?"

The boy looked surprised at the question, and others nearby shared the reaction. "You mean you don't know?" he asked, incredulous. A teenage girl spoke up, "Tonight's the world premiere of 'Lazarus', tickets are about to go on sale," and a couple people in line shouted out in excitement.

Jack looked at Ashi, "Have you heard of this?" but she shook her head.

"I'm not very up to date on movies, but we're going to have to wait on line regardless."

"You're right, let's get on now. We'll have plenty of time to decide what to see while we wait", and they walked around the building to the back of the line.

The three most anticipated films of the night were being advertised there on the wall. "Lazarus", of course, was listed first, followed by "The Tale of Ex Nine" and "The Flying Children". Two more movies Jack and Ashi had never heard of. Jack joked that they were both really out of the loop, and Ashi giggled.

Not sure which of the three movies they should see, Ashi had an idea; "Here, I'll look up a synopsis of each, that way we can better decide which one to see", she suggested, and Jack complimented the idea, causing Ashi to blush.

"The Flying Children", was about a pair of butterfly-like alien children that end up crashing to Earth. They meet a man who's down on his luck, and he makes it his mission to see the children returned to their home planet. "A heartwarming tale", said the critics, citing it as "…the E.T. of our generation." But Ashi remarked that it looked a little juvenile, so they went on to the next one.

"The Tale of Ex Nine" centered around a retired hitman, who now spent his days playing jazz and caring for a little pug named "Lulu". But when his beloved dog is kidnapped by his old employer, the hitman must come out of retirement for one final job; he must face his greatest challenge in order to save the one creature to ever show him affection. It sounded interesting, but the critics say "You'll never be the same after this movie", and that it would "…leave you a heartbroken, sobbing mess on the floor". That didn't sound very appealing to either of them…next!

And now for the one everyone was apparently here to see: "Lazarus". A horror movie with state-of-the-art special effects, the story was also about an alien, but a monster composed of many giant leeches that moved in accordance with one another. A huge mass of slimy, slithering leeches that would devour people and turn them into yet more leeches, expanding itself. The critics raved; "Horrifying" they touted, "…the scariest movie you will ever see". One critic, with a particularly weak stomach apparently, claimed, "I had to leave the theater, or I was definitely going to vomit."

Ashi was quite intrigued by that, and expressed her interest in seeing it, but Jack looked unwilling; "Are you sure about this, Ashi? That movie seems a little…gratuitous," he said uneasily.

"I know, but I want to see what all the fuss is about. Aren't you curious?" she asked.

Jack's reply, "Well yes, but…", told Ashi that he wasn't convinced, so she decided to fool around a bit.

"But what, Jack? You're not…scared, are you?" Ashi shot him a smug look, and Jack turned to catch her smirk.

"Of course not!" he stated defensively, "I just think we...shouldn't limit ourselves to the more promoted films, there are other movies being shown than just these three."

"No, no, it's fine, Jack. I totally get it", explained Ashi, waving a hand dismissively.

Jack raised an eyebrow at her; "Do you…?" he spoke warily.

She smiled coyly, "I do! After all, there's going to be a loooot of people in the theater. I certainly wouldn't want to be seen screaming like a baby at such a packed showing, that would just be absolutely mortifying!" She looked up with the back of her hand on her forehead, speaking dramatically. "It's okay, Jack. We can see 'The Flying Children', a PG movie is probably more your speed."

Jack stood in line, looking straight ahead with a blank expression. Ashi continued to look at him with a smug expression; finally, he pulled out his own phone, and turned to her. "How about this: I'm going to look through the rest of movies that are being shown. If none of them look any good, then we'll see 'Lazarus'. Is that okay with you, Ashi?" he said, sarcastically.

Ashi shrugged, "Sure, whatever you say…coward." Jack's head snapped in her direction, with an intense look, and she simply smiled innocently in return.

As Jack browsed the film selection, Ashi was looking up at the stars. The sun had gone down, and the streetlights were on; the last bit of light was disappearing over the horizon, creating a line of orange that bled into the dark blue above. She looked up at the them wistfully, and Jack took notice of this. Ashi had a glow in her eyes as she said, "Beautiful, aren't they?"; he agreed, but he wasn't looking at the stars.

At last, it was their turn to buy tickets. Jack put his phone back in his pocket, and pulled out his wallet; "Two tickets for…'Lazarus', please", causing Ashi to look up at him.

"Finally gave in, huh?" she joked, and Jack playfully rolled his eyes as the vendor took his money and gave him the tickets.

They entered the crowded theater with only ten minutes until the movie, and fortunately neither of them wanted anything from the snack bar; instead they headed right for the line to the usher, who would escort them to the correct theater. But while they stood on the second line, Jack noticed a family of three coming out of the last showing of "The Flying Children"; two parents, a Mother and Father, and their young son. The familiar sight reminded him of his inner hopelessness, and Ashi saw him looking sullen. Now she felt bad about pushing him to see "Lazarus".

"Hey, Jack. I was only teasing before, we didn't have to see this if you didn't want to. I'm sorry I pushed you into this", she spoke apologetically.

Jack looked confused for a moment, "What? No, it's not that. I really don't mind it." He looked back at the family. "It's just…I'm thinking about my parents. I miss them, and I can't help feeling like I failed."

Ashi looked curious, "What do you mean 'failed'?" But his answer had to wait, they were next in line. The usher scanned their tickets, and sent them down to theater 8. They found a pair of seats in the middle section, a little closer to the back. Once they were settled, Jack elaborated.

"You see, they're living in this awful, inhospitable complex. The neighborhood I grew up in was bought out and demolished to build it. But my parents sent me to live with my Uncle, who traveled all over the country in a mobile home. I lived for fifteen years on the road until I finally saw them again, but they had aged horribly, forced to work in a dreadful factory under horrible conditions. I've been trying to help them out financially, so they can get out of that horrible place, but my efforts are in vain. And it's all because of AKu…"

Ashi cringed, once again hearing her Father's name as the catalyst of Jack's unfortunate story. Did he really do such awful things to his family? She looked at him sympathetically as the lights dimmed. By this point, Jack had pushed aside the thoughts of his past, hoping to enjoy the movie. Ashi was still bothered by what Jack told her, but quickly became caught up in the film's rising tension.

Thirty minutes into "Lazarus", and Jack was watching comfortably as the plot progressed. The titular monster had already claimed a handful of victims, but nothing so far made Jack react with anything more than a slight cringe. He would sometimes question the choices made by the characters, which clearly lead to their demise; "Why would you split up like that? A smaller group is less secure, and the creature can divide itself anyway", Jack thought to himself, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Ashi was quite literally shaking in her boots. Leeches were already unpleasant creature's, but the concept of thousands of them functioning together as one big monster, was extremely unsettling. She was completely immersed in the story, and every creeping second was accompanied by her racing pulse.

The lead female was carefully stepping down a dark corridor, lined with many old wooden doors. Holding a flashlight tightly, she went to open a few doors, only to find all of locked. At the fifth door, the knob final turned all the way; the female opened the door carefully, the camera following over her shoulder so the audience would see the large puddle of leeches the same time as the heroine. She shrieked, Ashi shrieked, and much of the audience shrieked; at least Ashi wasn't the only one.

Jack chuckled to Ashi, "Okay, that got me a little!" But he noticed her shaky eyes were glued to the screen, and she was crumpled in her seat. He smiled at the irony of the situation, and held his left arm up next to her, and she clutched it without ripping her eyes away from the screen. They both watched as the male protagonist caught the female when she jumped across a broken bridge to avoid the leeches. Ashi was starting to calm down now, until she noticed what she was holding on to; her heart was still racing, but not because of the movie.

/

The movie ended around quarter to nine.

Jack and Ashi, after leaving the theater, decided to cruise on for a bit to settle their stomachs, "because of the movie". They rode for about a half hour through multiple neighbors, both strangely content just seeing the sights together.

Eventually, they found a small pizza place that was still open. Ashi tapped Jack on the shoulder, but he had already decided to pull over; neither of them had eaten in a while, and their cinema experience was no longer fresh in their minds.

Jack was about to pay for the food they ordered, but Ashi insisted on paying for their meal; "You work hard for that money, you deserve to hold onto it", she beamed at him, and he thanked her. She wanted to pay him back for the movie tickets as well, but Jack wouldn't accept it.

Once the food was ready, Ashi grabbed a table while Jack got some napkins, and they went at it. Both of them were starving at this point, and eating rather enthusiastically as a result. Simultaneously, they looked at each other mid-bite, and became frozen. Eyes locked, pizza crumbs all over their faces, neither of them could suppress it anymore, and they burst out laughing. "Great pizza, eh?" said Jack, and Ashi kissed her fingers Italian-style in response, causing both of them to laugh again.

Jack then offered a pizza toast, to which Ashi cheerfully obliged. They clinked slices, then proceeded to chow down, enjoying every bite.

/

After they finished their meal and cleaned themselves up, Jack and Ashi were back on the road, with no destination in mind.

While they waited at a red light, Jack caught her looking up at the stars again. Suddenly he got an idea, and he made a sudden turn left, headed towards the Intervale. "Where are we going?" inquired Ashi, sensing Jack's new direction was deliberate.

Jack smiled to himself and replied, "You'll see."

They drove north for about fifteen minutes, leaving the city boundaries. If this wasn't Jack, Ashi thought, she would be scared for her life. They finally came to a small field, adjacent to a farmhouse; not a single street light could be found this far out of town, and the stars were clear as clear as they were numerous.

They pulled up next to an old shed, clearly not being used, so Jack's motorcycle wouldn't be out in the open. Ashi could barely see the hand Jack was offering, outstretched in front of her, but she took it regardless. He led her to the middle of the small field, and immediately plopped down on the grass; he looked up at her while patting the fluffy patch next to him, which she graciously accepted. Jack then laid back on the grass with his hands locked on his chest, and Ashi decided to copy him. When she looked up at the night sky, she immediately understood why he brought her out there.

Ashi suddenly remembered all the days she spent as a kid, laying out in her backyard, simply enjoying the sensations around. It was like she was eight years old again, letting the blades of grass lightly tickle her face. She took a deep, relaxing breath; she hadn't felt like this in ages, yet it was different in many ways. For one, Ashi was not a little girl anymore, but a young woman. An older and wiser person, who still had to figure herself out. This also wasn't the view she remembered. Instead of a picturesque blue sky with clouds and sunshine, the faint glow of the stars above amidst a deep blue hung overhead. Lastly, she wasn't alone anymore.

They sat in comfortable silence for about six minutes, until Jack finally spoke up; "So, you know what I do for a living. But what about you, are you working?" he asked innocently enough. But Ashi still hated the question, because she hated the answer she had for him.

Ashi turned away slightly, "I'm not, but I wish I was. All my motivation to work is shot though, I've been relying on my Father's support for so long. He's…a very wealthy man, he came back in to my life around when I was eight. And for a while, I thought having a real Father was all I ever wanted. But, he doesn't care for me the way I always imagined a Father would. He treats money like it's the most important thing, and thinks that if he just gives me a couple thousand dollars every now and then, I'll be all well and good, but it's not that simple, you know?"

Jack looked at her sadly as she paused, and then she continued. "I'll be honest…back then, when we took karate class together, I envied you."

Jack was confused, "Envied me? Why is that?"

"You really don't get it!?" Ashi turned to him aggressively, "You were perfect! You were the best student, by far! I couldn't touch you, it drove me insane! And my Mother was always on my case, telling me how I needed to stop being so weak and destroy you. But no matter how hard I tried, I never could. And you never had to worry about YOUR Mother criticizing you, Or your Father! You had to parents that loved and supported you, and I hated you for it. THAT'S why I was always so mean to you, I couldn't stand to see you flaunt all those things in front of me. And the worst part about it all…" Ashi sat up and hugged her knees, trying as hard as she could to hold back tears, "…is that you never cared. About any of it. I always acted towards you with my silly grudge, but you never treated me any different. You were so nice and sweet to everyone, and you didn't deserve that. Just like you don't deserve everything that's happened to you! Jack, I'm so sorry…"

But she was cut off when Jack put his hand on her arm. Ashi snapped her head to see him now sitting up as well, his torso turned so he was looking directly at her. "You're wrong, Ashi. You say I never cared, but that's wrong. You always looked so miserable, and I saw how frustrated you would get whenever we would spar. But you were always a great martial artist, and I wanted to tell you how good you were. Your Mother may not have spoken kindly to you, but I thought you deserved praise. I'm sorry you had to suffer like that." Ashi had let go of her knees and turned herself facing Jack by now, and both of them were drifting together almost instinctively. "But my troubles are no fault of yours; I may be going through a difficult time, but you do not need to share my suffering. This is not your burden to bear."

Ashi inched closer, "But I want to, you don't need to go it alone."

Jack moved closer as well, "You're right; neither of us do. I want to be there for you, Ashi. I want to help you." The space between their lips was slowly disappearing.

"Jack, you already have…"

Suddenly, a bright light shone on the field where they lay, accompanied by an angry shout; "WHO'S OUT THERE!? SHOW YOURSELVES!" Jack and Ashi both turned and said, "Shit", simultaneously getting up and running back, hand-in-hand, to the motorcycle. Jack started the engine, and they peeled out just as the irate farmer made his way over there to confront the two trespassers.

They laughed the entire ride home.

—END CHAPTER 6—

/


	8. The Choice

—CHAPTER 7—

 _They were surrounded._

 _Ashi and Jack stood braced, their weapons held firmly. Ashi's clothes had been chewed up, so Jack gave her his robe (he insisted it was a Gi) to shield her naked body. The creature had disassembled itself, and the many leeches reassembled into many different unique shapes, each one just as willing to devour the two._

 _Suddenly, Ashi noticed Jack's foot behind her, feeling around for the circular device that was supposed to destroy the creature, although neither of them could activate it. However, this was not the time to mess around with it; "What are you doing?" she whispered to him._

 _"It's the only way, I have to try", Jack quietly asserted._

 _Suddenly, the many leeches screeched at them, preparing to strike; Jack shouted, "Cover me for as long as you can!" and went to fidget with the device, leaving Ashi to deal with the creature. Armed with a dual-sided lance and a large riot shield, she twirled the weapon to shred the oncoming leaches coming at them on one side, while blocking a barrage of them from the other._

 _Ashi was doing fine keeping the leeches off herself and Jack, until the creature reassembled its largest self and threw its entire mass of leeches at the shield. Just as it was about to give, Jack finally managed to activate the device, but they had already been engulfed in the flood of leeches. They could only bring their heads above the slithering mass to cry out to each other as the device began the "sequence", and suddenly a burst of electricity was emitted from it._

 _The leeches all stopped, feeling the effects of the electrocution, but so were Ashi and Jack. They shrieked in pain as each and every one of the many leeches burst into green goo as the device did its job. Eventually, all of them were reduced to steaming blue debris, and the green goo that now coated the two of them had browned, losing its acidic potency._

 _Ashi and Jack stood there, panting heavily after their close call. They looked at each other, and without a word, they rushed to each other and met in a passionate kiss, not caring about the gross residue they were covered in._

/

Ashi awoke to rays of sunlight pouring in the window, which lightly kissed her face.

She sat up in her bed and touched her lips, savoring the sensation she felt in her dream. They were so close to actually kissing last night, and she was clearly feeling snuffed after their unfortunate interruption. Sighing, she got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. On the bright side, she had plans with Jack that day. Maybe they would pick up where they left off…

Her train of thought was interrupted when her phone beeped; she got a text from Jack! He had told her to text him first, afraid he would accidentally sleep in like he usually did on his days off, but it looked like he was just as excited as she was about their next meeting.

Jack asked her when he should leave to get her, and Ashi told him to come in about half an hour. She quickly jumped in the shower, washing in record time, followed by brushing her hair into her signature look, then applying a careful amount of makeup. After brushing her teeth, she picked out her outfit for the day; a beige cardigan over a black V-neck tee, with faded skinny jeans and open-toed shoes.

Ashi had just finished getting dressed when Jack texted her regarding his arrival. She quickly straightened herself out in the mirror, and everything seemed to be in order; grabbing her purse, Ashi ran out the door.

Jack was once again posted up against his bike, waiting for her to walk down the stoop towards him. They moved to greet each other, both of them going for a kiss and chickening out, settling for an awkward hug. Disregarding that faux-pas, they headed out for a particular coffee shop downtown.

The pair arrived in about ten minutes, and they both ordered an egg sandwich and a coffee. When Jack went to reach for his wallet, Ashi intercepted his hand, and shook her head once he looked at her. Relenting, Jack grabbed their food that was place in front of him on the counter, and they took a seat at one of the two-person tables outside of the establishment.

The coffee shop, "Brewshido", had been picked out by Jack last night; he had noticed it during their cruising and remarked that he liked the name. Ashi suggested they should try the place, and Jack tentatively added that he had off tomorrow.

At the end of the night, when Jack dropped Ashi off at her apartment, she asked if they were still on for Brewshido tomorrow. Jack confirmed, telling her he would call her when he woke up; Jack set an alarm for the first time in a while, eight AM. He got out of bed, showered, dressed, with still a half hour to spare. He decided to meditate for those thirty minutes, that way his mind would be clear and he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of Ashi. But as he sat there with his eyes closed, he fell asleep; his lotus crumpled and he fell face first onto his apartment's carpeted floor, waking himself up. He put his forehead in his head upon realizing what happened.

Despite the rough start to the morning, he finally managed to meet up with Ashi, and now they were both enjoying a lovely breakfast.

Brewshido sat on the intersection between two intersecting streets; it had no doors, only an opening into the building through which patrons could pass. Two boys in their early twenties worked the counter; both of them were slim but toned with tan skin and bald heads. Jack wondered if they also trained Shaolin, but didn't bring it up. The entire establishment was designed to look like traditional Japanese architecture.

As Jack and Ashi sat, enjoying their meals and the nice weather, Jack scrolled through the drink menu. At the bottom of the page was a selection of different teas; Jack mused out loud, "They have a tea menu, I should start drinking tea again."

Ashi gave a curious look. "You drink tea? Isn't that just like coffee with less caffeine?" she asked, and Jack looked almost insulted at her question.

"What? No, that's not real tea. I'm talking about traditional Japanese tea made, called Matcha. It's right here on the menu." Jack pointed to the beverage listed on the menu. "Although, it is never the same without Sado", he added, and she asked what that was. Before Jack could answer, however, a petite old man emerged from the building towards their table.

He spoke in a gentle voice, "Sado is the traditional Japanese tea ceremony in which Matcha is typically served. It is a careful and specific ritual, where balance is key," the old man turned to Jack, "I see you are familiar with the proper way to enjoy Matcha."

Jack smiled, "Yes, my Uncle showed me the technique during our travels. Although, it's been quite a long time since I performed it."

"Well, would you like to?" the old man asked, and Jack looked at him with wide eyes. He turned to Ashi, as if he were looking for confirmation, which she gave him in a smile, then nodded at the old man.

He asked them their names, and after they answered, he gave them his; "My name is Monk", he said, and Jack and Ashi both gave him a skeptical look. After a brief pause, "Monk", started laughing; that's not my real name, of course. People just find it easier to call me that."

Ashi chimed in, "And you're okay with that?"

"Well, sure. After all, it is quite the fitting nickname, wouldn't you say?" Monk had a point, as a tiny wrinkled man with puffy eyes and a bald head, he did fit the bill pretty well. Jack and Ashi both admitted how accurate the nomenclature.

Monk then gestured inside, "Now then, come this way"; he walked behind the counter, said something to one of the boys working, then led them to a back room of the shop. Through a sliding canvas door, they stepped onto a genken, overlooking tatami mat floors. Jack marveled at the authenticity of it all. He and Monk removed their shoes and stepped up onto the higher level, then Ashi got the hint and followed suit.

Sitting there in the middle of the room were all of the tools needed to complete the ceremony; a purple cloth known as a fukusa, a tea caddy, two bowls, a tea scoop, a tea whisk, and a large kettle with a wooden ladle, which one of the boys from the counter just came in and filled with boiling water. Monk led Ashi to a spot in front of the equipment to observe, showing her how to sit on the floor properly; Ashi didn't even know there was a proper way to do that. "You may begin whenever you are ready," he said, and Jack began.

He moved to the floor, sitting on his heels in the traditional fashion. First, picking up the wooden ladle, he placed it down in front of the kettle, then bowing ceremoniously. He then picked up the tea scoop and whisk, removing them from atop the tea container and carefully placing them next to it. Next, he grabbed the fukusa and held it aloft, meticulously folded it twice, and wiped the rim of the tea container. Then he wiped the tea scoop, running it between the fold of the fukusa, and placing it on top of the bowl once again. Jack then picked up the ladle, while removing the lid from the kettle; he took a ladleful of hot water and poured it into the bowl, the picked up the tea whisk and swished it in the hot water. After holding it up as part of the ritual, he placed the whisk down and poured the water back into the kettle. Then, picking up the tea scoop, Jack scooped tea out of the container into the bowl; he then poured another ladleful of water into the bowl, mixed the tea with the whisk, and he was done.

Jack placed the bowl in front of Monk, who picked it up and started sipping. After he was done, he lowered the bowl, slowly opening his eyes, looked at Jack and said, "This is terrible."

"Really?" Jack replied incredulously, and Monk nodded.

Ashi finally spoke up, "Is it really that bad?" so Monk handed her the bowl and she tasted the tea. She tried to praise the drink, but her look of disgust said it all; "It's uh…it's got an interesting flavor to it. It's a little bitter, but hey, that just gives it a... maturity! Yeah, that's it! It's really… you know, it's… it's bad. I'm sorry, Jack, but this is bad," she rambled with a guilty look.

Monk stood up, walking over to the disappointed Jack. "As I mentioned, an integral ingredient of the tea ceremony is balance, something you seem to be sorely lacking. My friend, it is clear that you are very troubled."

Ashi looked at Jack sadly, already aware of his depressive state. Suddenly her phone started to ring, drawing the attention of the others in the room. She apologized and took the call outside, silently groaning when she saw the caller ID.

Stepping outside the shop, she spoke with faux enthusiasm, "Hello, Dad!"

"Sweetheart! Your favorite Father is in town, and he was wondering if his _favorite_ daughter would be willing to take a ride over to his office. We have important matters to discuss, so please get over here at your earliest convenience." Ashi was about to object, but AKu had said what he needed to say, "Thank you, darling. See you soon!" and with that, he hung up.

This was great, Ashi thought sarcastically. Now she had to bail on Jack to go have an undoubtedly painful discussion with her Father about who knows what. Speaking of Jack, he had just come up to her as she got off the phone. "Who was that?" he inquired out of nowhere, startling her, and himself by extension.

Ashi dismissed his look of concern, "I'm fine, that was my Dad…he's in town, and he wants me to meet him at his office. Like now," she said with apparent displeasure.

"Where is his office?" asked Jack, "I'll give you a ride." Suddenly, she remembered the problem she kept pushing to the back of her mind, and realized it was now two-fold. Not only did Jack not know about her Father, AKu, but her Father had no idea she was even seeing somebody, not to mention his mortal enemy. Ashi wasn't sure how she would eventually tell each of them about the other, as both confessions would have undesirable outcomes; she didn't know which one would be worse.

Ashi quickly tried to think of an excuse to decline Jack's offer, but hard-pressed to find one, she finally relented. Noticing how reluctant she was, Jack spoke up; "I know you don't really want to see your Father, but you seem particularly unwilling to let me drive you there? Do you think your Father will take issue with me?" he asked innocently.

What an understatement that was, but she rolled with it. "Well… yeah, you could say that. I've never had a guy around him before, and I don't know how he'd react. If you were to give me a ride, I'd prefer that it was a quick drop-off, if you don't mind."

"Oh, of course! We've only been, er… 'together' for a couple days, after all. I don't feel like I have any right to meet your parents yet." Jack assured her, and she smiled. Okay, maybe she would be able to hold off telling him for a while. But her Father…

They left Brewshido on Jack's motorcycle, headed towards the hill section where AKu's office was located. AKu's buildings always had a specific style; black with sharp protrusions on the sides, similar to AKu's own hairstyle, giving them a somewhat sinister feel. The Burlington AKu building was the largest structure in the city, with AKu's office being on its own floor at the very top.

Once they arrived, Ashi dismounted the bike before it completely stopped. She quickly kissed Jack on the cheek and ran off into the plaza towards the front doors of the building, shouting "ThanksyourthebestIllcallyoulater!" as she rushed in. Jack was left speechless, barely muttering a "bye" as he weakly waved goodbye.

Ashi went to the front desk, where a snidely man with a large nose and small round glasses sat at attention; he immediately recognized Ashi and told her that AKu was expecting her. She boarded the elevator, taking it all the way to the top of the building, where her Father awaited.

AKu's office was wide with a tall ceiling, and the entire back wall behind his desk was a glass window, overlooking the whole city. The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to allow Ashi to enter the office; she walked down the gaudy red and orange carpet towards her Father's desk where he watched her approach.

AKu stood up and greeted her with his usual exuberance; "Ashiiii! My little girl, come give your Father a hug!" She forced a smile as best she could, and met him in a "loving" embrace that lasted far too long. After he released her, she took a seat across from his desk.

Her Father sat back down, and got into a relaxed position with his legs crossed and fingers interlocked. "Now, I asked you to be here today to discuss a matter of great importance. As you may already know, I've spent the last year or so cultivating a foundation on which to craft my political persona. On this venture, I have encountered wild success; I have seduced both the elephant and the donkey with my unfathomable charisma," AKu stood up, and started staring out the large window, "But the time for diplomacy has come to an end, it is time to go on the political offensive!" He held his arms out wide as he said that, and waited for a reaction.

After about five seconds, he turned his head to see Ashi sitting there, unfazed; "So… why am I here?" she asked, sounding bored.

AKu started working his way around his desk towards Ashi, speaking so sweetly to the point it was patronizing. "My dear, every good politician must be aware of all the factors in one's life that can be used against them, and one of the biggest weaknesses that they will exploit is family!"

"Family?" Ashi questioned, wondering how such a thing could be a weakness. AKu, was right next to her now. "Yes, child. You see, while it is mostly the politician's own actions that define them, the actions of a close relative can also be profoundly impactful on their reputation. If a politician has a bad relationship with their spouse or child, that bad relationship will be exploited as a sign that that politician cannot maintain personal ties. Alternatively, the family members themselves can be exploited as well. Political opponents have little trouble tracking down a politician's family, and even a naturally affable man, like me, has opponents." He clutched his fist in front of her face, as she leaned away from this intrusion. "You must be vigilant, Ashi! They will do everything in their power to deceive you; you're such a sensitive girl, and you can be sure they will appeal to your emotions, try to turn you against your Father!"

Ashi was fed up with his monologue, "Dad, can you just get to the point already? So, what, people are out to get me? What else is new? I already do everything I can to distance myself from your dealings!"

AKu shook his head, "But that's exactly it! Now that I'm a runner in the political rat race, we'll be exposed to all kinds of vermin. The best defense you can have as the daughter of a political figure is to have a reputation of your own, and the first step to that is a better, more public relationship with your Father", he explained, putting his hands on her shoulders from behind.

Ashi froze; she stared blankly at the window as she spoke, "P-Public?"

AKu bellowed proudly, pulling Ashi from her seat and holding her as though they were posing for a photo. "YES, my dear! From now on, the basis of my political platform is the love and adoration of my seven beautiful children. Just like your old man, your name and face will be known all over the country, perhaps the world! The Daughters of AKu will become the biggest trending topic on all social media platform! You'll have a reality show by the end of the year!" As much as she hated everything else her Father mentioned, the only thought racing through her head upon hearing what he had in store was Jack finding out about AKu. She didn't speak, but she pushed away from her Father's embrace.

AKu pleaded; "But we can't have all that if you don't meet me half way, Ashi. I just don't to understand, ever since you were eight I've given you everything you ever wanted. You lived like a princess, and now I'm giving you the opportunity to actually be one!"

Ashi snapped at him, "You don't know what I wanted, and you ESPECIALLY don't know what I want now. I don't care about being a princess, I just want to be! Why can't that be enough?"

There was a long pause between the two of them. AKu stared at Ashi, eventually sighing; "There, you see? This is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. You get so worked up over such trivial matters, and you're always so miserable! None of your sisters are ever like this; they all seem perfectly happy with their situation, and they welcome our future prosperity! I think you'd be much happier if you just accept your place in society! It worked for your sisters, and while I'm no statistician, it seems correlative to me!"

Ashi stared at him in disbelief, this wasn't getting through with him at all. Calmly, she grabbed her purse that was hanging on the chair, and started towards the elevator. As she called the elevator, her Father called out to her; "Ashi," she turned to look at him, "check's in the mail" he quipped with a wink.

Ashi scowled at him, "Thanks, Dad."

At that moment the elevator arrived, and Ashi stepped through the open doors. She turned forward as she waited for the doors to close, and made eye contact with her Father; "Anything for you, sweetheart…" he exaggerated.

As the elevator doors closed, AKu's smile flipped around, and he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "UUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH… Why is this one so DIFFICULT!?" he shouted, grabbing his hair.

Meanwhile, inside the elevator, Ashi finally exhaled.

/

Jack wasn't thinking about why he was there in the first place, but he was well aware of what was going on around him.

His bike was parked across the street, on a side street facing the building. It was daytime, but it still reminded him of when he would sit outside AKu's facilities and wait for an opening. Then he would sneak in, and foil whatever nefarious scheme AKu's associates were cooking up.

Right now, he was in full stake out mode, waiting for something to happen that would give him something he could work with. He looked up at the highest point of the building, AKu's own office. He was in there. If Jack could just get to the elevator, he could right it all the way up there, and he could confront AKu. He could put an end to all of it…

No, he would never make it, Jack thought to himself. He wasn't as sharp as he used to be in terms of his martial arts skills, having fallen into disuse for a while now. There was likely heavy security on the way to the elevator, wherever it was. Jack could tell from the layout of the building that there must only be one elevator, and even if he could get to it, no way would he get the time needed to actually call it before getting caught. It would be an exercise in futility.

He sat like this, watching people go in and out of AKu's building, resting his chin on his arms that were crossed on top of the bike's handlebars. His past choices continued to haunt him; quitting the force, no longer sending money to his parents, and those poor goats he…. Jack let out a deep sigh as it all buzzed around in his head. His feelings of hopelessness were starting to creep back into his mind, when suddenly his phone rang.

It was Ashi. Right, THAT'S why he was here. And it had only been about fifteen minutes, shockingly enough; Jack felt like it had been longer. But she said that she was done talking to her Father, and was wondering if he wanted to meet up again, citing that she could take a taxi to his place.

"That won't be necessary," he smiled as he saw her walk out of the building, and finally moved from his brooding position. He added, "I'm right across the street," and her eyes scanned beyond the lot to find him, waving her down. They caught eyes and smiled at each other, as she crossed the street towards him.

Ashi raised an eyebrow at him, "Were you waiting for me this whole time?" she said coyly. Jack chuckled slightly uncomfortably, that was technically true. Although he initially stuck around for her, his attention soon shifted to AKu's business, looking for something he could exploit against the vile mogul.

Jack rubbed the back of his head, "W-Well, truthfully I didn't know how long you would take. But at the same time, I myself have nowhere else to be. I planned to wait out here for at least another ten minutes or so, but I'm glad I didn't have to."

Ashi beamed at him, and then asked playfully, "Well now that that's settled, you never answered my question: Do you want to do something?" Jack didn't respond, instead he started up his bike, made space behind him, and gestured for her to get on, which she eagerly accepted. And they drove off.

Back in downtown now, they found a lot near the hub of the area, where they parked Jack's bike. They spent the day walking around on foot, seeing sights, browsing stores, and enjoying each other's company. Most of the time, they simply wandered around holding hands, sharing a casual conversation; other times, they would fool around like children, playing hide-and-seek within a crowded store, chasing each other around like children. Other people's stares did little to dissuade their mischief, as they were too caught up in each other.

Later in the afternoon, they ate at a quaint little restaurant they found. Ashi volunteered to cover the bill, but Jack confessed that he hated not paying for anything they had bought recently, so they compromised and paid for each other's meals.

After that, Jack and Ashi ended up in Battery Park. The first thing they did was buy duck feed from a woman who was selling handfuls at a booth in the shade, as Ashi wanted to feed the ducks that were hanging around the shoreline; they sat by the water and Jack watched her as she cheerfully doled out the food to the animals crowding around in indulgence.

Once the feed was gone, they laid out on the grass and talked; Jack told Ashi stories of his police days, and she listened attentively. She was hysterical as he told her about the time his clothes were stolen, and he had to sneak around the city in different outfits to find the thief.

Finally, they sat on a bench with a perfect view of the setting sun; dusk was almost upon them, and it was going to be another clear night. Battery Park was apparently renowned for having "one of the finest sunsets in the world", or so Jack had heard.

Sitting there with Jack's arm around her, lost in thought. This moment was perfect, but it was too familiar.

It reminded her of the only other time she really felt at peace with another person. Back when her Father first came into her life, and she moved into his California home, where they sat on the balcony against a similar sunset. That was one of the happiest moments of her life, but it was short-lived once her Dad started to show his true colors. From then on, she hardly ever saw him, and the times that she did were spent vying for his approval, which to this day she hasn't acquired.

Now she was here with someone else. Once just a boy whom she despised for his perceived superiority, Jack was now a man that she admired for his chivalrous behavior. Ashi felt comfortable when she was around him, like she could actually open up and be herself. He may have been a little sullen now and then, but she didn't care. She knew about his troubled past, something that she herself could relate to. Both of them had lost their way, but at least they found each other.

Now she had a dilemma: These two men in her life were mortal enemies, both unaware of their connection through her. At some point, she was going to have to choose between them. So far, Jack was winning the internal debate, having only come back into her life a few days ago, already making her happier than her Father has in years. But she remembered how her Father was planning on making her identity public, which included her status as a "daughter of AKu". How would Jack feel about that? Ashi worried she was going to lose him because of it.

Jack himself snapped her out of her thoughts; "Ashi, are you alright? You seem troubled." He noticed her contemplative expression, and he noticed his concern. She stared straight at him without a word, and his concern turned into slight confusion. "Uh, Ashi?" he asked again, and she answered the question by pressing her lips against his.

Ashi had made her choice, and she was going to do whatever it took to make it work.

/

It was now much later in the evening; the sun had set hours ago, and the many lights illuminating the city outshined the ones up above. All of it was visible from the top of the tower that was AKu's building, where he sat in his office overlooking the entire city.

AKu sat in his luxurious leather chair, slumped against the back of the seat in frustration. The elevator dinged, signaling the arrival of his top assistant Scaramouche, who entered the office carrying a large plastic bag.

He held up the bag and spoke flamboyantly, "AKu, babe, you would not BELIEVE the traffic coming down Willard Street. I swear, it's like the President's in town." Scaramouche placed the bag on the desk in front of his boss, "Oh wait, he already is! AHOHOHOHOHOHOHO."

AKu groaned, pulling out cartons of Chinese food from the bag; "Please, Scaramouche, no flattery tonight. I just want to eat already," he whined, opening up and digging into the lo mein.

Scaramouche grabbed the carton of general tso's chicken, sitting on the desk; "Aw come on, babe, you love it when I talk you up like that. What's on your mind, AKu vavoo?" He started eating as AKu swiveled his chair towards the window, and sighed.

"It's my daughter, she's so unreceptive to everything I try to do for her," he threw his arms up in frustration, "I don't get it! Once I found out about my illegitimate offspring, I did everything I could to nurture their dependence, to mold them into my entourage of perfect, obedient daughters! And I succeeded, I now have six daughters who I can easily package and ship out as the new face of my political and economic empire! But Ashi… she doesn't want any of it; It's like she doesn't even care about being rich and famous! Isn't that every child's dream? But noooo, all she cares about is being 'independent'," he spoke in a mocking tone, and made air quotes with his fingers.

AKu took a bite of the lo mein before concluding his rant, his mouth still full of food. "Kids these days, you try to do what's best for them, then they bite the hand that feeds! Talk about ungrateful…"

Scaramouche shook his head, "No see, you're going about this all wrong, boss! You treat Ashi like she's still a child, but she's a grown woman now; and let me tell you, they are NOT receptive to being patronized like that." He put his food down, allowing him to gesture freely as he spoke, "You gotta schmooze her, babe. Remember, you didn't meet her until she was eight, this girl must have MAJOR abandonment issues. Plus, you said her Mother is a stone-cold shrew, and there's a good chance some'a that rubbed off on Ashi. But you gotta work with that, boss! Talk to her, get to know her better; you had a good start with that balcony thing you told me about, but you dropped the ball once you stopped paying attention to her. Clearly this girl isn't taken in by wealth and fame, you have to find out what's important to her. Ask yourself this, babe: What makes Ashi tick?"

AKu stood up and looked out the window, lording over the city while pondering his assistant's advice. "Hmmm, you have a good point. Perhaps I've been going about this all wrong. Ashi is not a delicate flower that crumples at the slightest prod; she is a towering oak tree, solid and formidable just like her old man! But just like a tree, the only way to really understand her is to cut her down and count the rings!"

Scaramouche cringed slightly, "Geez, don't you think that allegory's a little…I don't know, barbaric?"

AKu waved his hand, "Regardless, my point stands. If I'm going to develop a proper relationship with her, I'll need a second opinion," he then turned to Scaramouche, "That's where you come in! I'm leaving Vermont tomorrow morning, and in that time, I need you to stick around here and keep an eye on Ashi. Tell me EVERYTHING you can about her; what she does, who she sees, anything of interest you can get. Can you do that?"

Scaramouche shrugged "Well yeah, but I still don't see what the tree thing has to do with-"

"Forget that! Will you do this for me?"

"You got it, babe! From now on I'll be your eyes and ears, and what handsome feature they are!" He mused as he ogled his reflection in the window.

"Excellent!" AKu cheered, as he imitated his assistant's behavior.

—END CHAPTER 7—

/


	9. Jack and Ashi vs the Hipsters

—CHAPTER 8—

Ashi awoke comfortably, but she immediately noticed an absence.

Jack's absence.

She had fallen asleep on his shoulder last night while they watching TV at her apartment. It was two days after their first kiss; they hadn't seen each other since that Sunday, but had been texting each other consistently.

They were browsing channels until they came upon a marathon of a popular sitcom from the mid 90's: "Family Mechanics". It centered around a family of five that lived in an auto shop that the Father ran. He was a charismatic man, and the main character of the show; most of the show's main plots revolved around his interactions with zany customers and the situations he would get involved in. He had a wife who was a stay-at-home Mom, and she acted as the straight man to her family's crazy antics. They had three children, whose misadventures usually made up the B plots of the episode. The eldest daughter was always worrying about boys, and her episodes usually involved her trying to either get some cute boys attention, or a piece of clothing she wanted. The middle daughter often tagged along with her older sister's adventures, but sometimes had episodes revolving around her frustration with being the middle child; she got a lot more of her own episodes in season two by popular demand. Finally, the youngest son was always getting into mischief, and most of his plots dealt with him trying to solve a problem he created unintentionally, sometimes interlocking with his family members' plotlines.

Jack and Ashi both found the cheesy family comedy relaxing; neither of them having a rooted home life for most of their lives, experiencing it through vicariously through the wacky antics of the idyllic sitcom family was comforting to them. They sat through episode after episode of "Family Mechanics", watching most of season 3, and the holiday special before Ashi finally passed out.

She woke up quite comfortable, but a little disappointed that Jack hadn't spent the night; he had work in the morning, and he said he would have an easier time getting himself out the door if he wasn't leaving her bed. After she fell asleep, Jack finished the episode they had started, and then carried her bridal-style to her bed. Her placed her down with her head on the pillow, then covered her with the blanket. He was about to leave when he noticed a small pile of scrap paper on her night stand. Suddenly inspired, he grabbed one of the slips and started folding it meticulously. Once he was done, he marked his creation and set it down atop the small stack on the nightstand. After once more halting his departure, he quickly bent down and kissed Ashi's forehead, then hastily got up and walked out, feeling flustered.

And so, Ashi found the tiny paper crane perched on her desk, with a little heart penned on the wing. She smiled brightly, and eagerly jumped out of bed. Ashi had made a decision recently that whenever Jack had to go to work, she would go out and look for a job of her own.

That Wednesday, she walked all over the city, meeting with prospective employers and filling out applications; they all sounded satisfied with her experience, and Ashi was feeling confident that many of them would soon be begging her to come work for them. She told Jack how excited she was to be working again, having become both incredibly bored of living off her Father's money _and_ somewhat guilty after seeing how hard Jack works.

The next day, Ashi waited around in her apartment with high hopes for one of the businesses she applied to yesterday to contact her. As the day went on, Ashi found it increasingly difficult to occupy herself as she waited for the calls that didn't seem to be coming, wondering if her connection to AKu was hurting her chances of being hired.

She ended up spending all day channel surfing, never settling on what to watch. There was a kid show about a big blue bear creature with a flower on his head, way too juvenile for her. One of those tabloid talk shows was on, where men were DNA tested in front of a boisterous audience while the Mother awaits the results anxiously. In this case, the results came in that the man was "NOT the Father!", and the Mother began to sob as the man got up and danced joyously amidst the crowd's roaring; it was funny at first, but it got old fast. Not even the long-running crime show that handled cases of sexual assault—a popular fallback show when nothing else was on—couldn't hold her attention for long.

Ashi struggled with her boredom for another few hours, until Jack finally got off work at six o' clock. He said he would text her after he clocked out, and only five minutes after six did he send her a message.

JACK: Hello!

ASHI: Hi! How was work?

JACK: Not too bad; I was ringing today, so the Sheriff wasn't on my case as much as usual.

ASHI: lol I don't get why he cares so much about shouting in front of customers, it's always gibberish anyway

JACK: Haha yes, his manner of speaking can be very puzzling! How about you, did you get any phone calls today?

ASHI: Ugh no, none of them have gotten back to me.

JACK: I'm sorry to hear that, maybe they're still deliberating? I'm sure you'll hear back from one of them soon.

ASHI: I really hope so, if I sit in this apartment any longer I'm going to pull my hair out

JACK: Maybe you should try looking through classifieds, a lot of people ask for help with various labor. That's what I was doing after I quit the force. Taking one of the ads can keep you working for a week at a time, and the money is decent.

ASHI: I mean I guess I could try it, but don't you need special skills or whatever for that kind of work?

JACK: Not at all, qualification is the last thing you need to worry about. All you have to be is a diligent worker looking to help out, that's what everyone who puts out those ads is looking for.

ASHI: Maybe you could look through them with me tomorrow, aren't you off on Fridays?

JACK: I am! I was actually about to bring that up, would you still like to do something tonight?

ASHI: Yesss! What time?

JACK: I can pick you up in an hour, and we can go to dinner. Do you like sushi?

ASHI: An hour is perfect, and I've never had sushi but I'll try it if that's where you wanna go ?

JACK: Great! I'll see you in an hour!

ASHI: See ya! ❤

JACK: ❤

Ashi dropped her phone on the couch and went to get in the shower; the job situation would have to wait, she had a date to get ready for.

/

Jack slipped his phone in his pocket, getting up from the table he was sitting at in the breakroom. Now that that was settled, all he had to do was drive back to his apartment, take a quick shower, get dressed, and go to pick up Ashi. He walked out of the store, and found his bike parked in the lot; before he could start on his way, however, his phone started ringing.

It was Scotsman, so Jack held the phone a sensible distance away from his ear as he accepted the call. Sure enough, his friend bellowed into the receiver, " _JACKIE BOY, HOW'S ME FAVORITE PARTNER HOLDIN' UP?_ "

Jack smirked as his precaution proved worthwhile, "Hello, friend. Your 'favorite partner' is doing quite well. What about you?"

Scotsman chuckled, " _Never better, laddie! They finally assigned me an interesting case, so I've been workin' that lead for the last couple'a days. There's been a string'a robberies all over the city, but every place that's been hit is a thrift store._ "

That sounded odd to Jack, "Really?"

" _Oh yeah, they've been stealin' all sorta strange things; vinyl records, ascots, horn-rimmed glasses, and just about anything that's flannel. Honestly, I ain't got a clue what to make'a that!_ " Scotsman sighed, " _I tell ya, I sure as hell miss havin' you alongside me, that clever brain'a yers always was always picking up me slack! Ye really were the brain to me brawn!_ "

Jack smiled to himself, reminiscing about the old days with his partner and friend. "Yes, I certainly miss those days. Are you still working with your latest partner?" After Jack left, Scotsman was back to his usual habits of breaking in a new partner, then wearing them out within the month or so. His latest victim was Officer Douglas, a man of forty-something whose constant dumbfounded expression matched his personality to a tee. And Scotsman made no attempts to restrain naturally critical nature around his new partner.

" _Oooh yeah, 'Doofy' Douglas, he's here with me! But that don't mean much, he's the only fella I ever met that's always in two places at once: Wherever he is, his brain is ten paces behind, AAAAAAHAHAHAHA!_ " There was a pause, where Jack thought he heard a droll voice on the other end, which was confirmed when Scotsman responded to it; " _Aye, I'm talkin' bout you, ya hackit dobber!_ " Jack couldn't help laughing at his friend's ridiculous insults. " _But enough about me, tell me about yer lady friend, laddie! Ye scared her off yet?_ " Scotsman joked.

Jack's mind shifted gears completely, "Ashi…? She's wonderful. I never thought I could feel so…comfortable around someone. She's such a compassionate, understanding person; she gets me, it's like we're always on a similar wavelength. And she's so beautiful; her hair is so cute the way it sticks up in the back, and her green eyes are so…"

Scotsman interrupted Jack before he could continue to gush, " _Alright, alright. That's enough, or else yer teeth are gonna rot outta yer mouth! Say, we're still on for tomorrow as usual, yeah?_ " Scotsman asked, and Jack confirmed.

" _Well ye better bring Ashi with you, I want to finally meet this wonderful girl'a yers. If she makes ya this happy, she must be on par with me darling wife! Maybe we should compare em? Although it wouldn't be much of a contest, AAHAHAHA!_ " Scotsman boasted, as Jack shook his head. Not that he felt even the least bit challenged, but he knew better than to talk against Scotsman or his wife, ESPECIALLY against the woman herself.

Jack chuckled, "Well, I don't know about that, but I will certainly see if she wants to come to the bar Saturday night. But speaking of Ashi, we have a date tonight that I need to get ready for. I'll talk to you later."

" _Aye, laddie. You two behave yerselves, ya hear me!?_ " Scotsman laughed, knowing Jack got a little red at that. " _I'll see ya real soon, G'night!_ " on that his friend hung up, and Jack finally got on his way home to get cleaned and dressed for tonight.

/

Once he was showered and dressed, Jack got to Ashi's apartment a quarter after seven.

She came out and they greeted each other with a kiss, then immediately departed for Jack's favorite sushi restaurant: "Taste of Edo". The place was located right in the middle of the South End of Burlington, the most artistic neighborhood of the city. It was made up mostly of artsy millennials, living in modern style flats most likely paid for by their parents. There were different art gatherings and exhibits held every other night, and some parts of the neighborhood felt like a different world than the rest of the city.

Jack parked the bike in an alley a couple blocks down, and they walked to the restaurant. The hostess sat them at a booth in the corner of the restaurant, and Jack read through the menu with Ashi to help her decide what kind of sushi to try. She finally decided on the Alaska roll, while Jack ordered a nigiri platter. Ashi struggled with the chopsticks, until Jack came to her side of the booth and held her hand to show the correct form.

They chatted about various things, eventually reaching the topic of martial arts. Jack harkened back to their Brewshido date, and the two employees whom he wondered were versed in Shaolin. Ashi shrugged, "I'm sure if you asked them, they wouldn't have been offended. Monk was pretty authentic, so those employees probably were, too."

Jack smiled sheepishly, rubbing his head; "I try not to assume that, better to leave it alone sometimes."

Ashi smirked, "That's fair, I guess."

It was Jack's turn to ask; "So, what forms of martial arts have you studied?"

"Well, have you heard of the Imakandi?" Ashi questioned, and Jack's eyes widened.

"Yes, I heard of them during my travels as a child! My Uncle told me of their immeasurable hunting skills. But I was not aware that they practiced martial arts."

Ashi nodded, "Yeah, they have a fighting style that's like a cross between Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai Kickboxing, very aggressive."

Jack was impressed, "Sure sounds like it."

"They also taught me how to handle many different weapons, melee and ranged; I know how to use some swords, daggers, sickle and chain, polearms- well, spears mainly, and clubs…OH, and I know archery."

Ashi tried her best not to sound like she was posturing, but that went away when Jack responded, "I know all of those along with axes, two-hand and throwing."

She pouted at him, "Don't forget one-upmanship." He looked at her somewhat guiltily, until she was no longer able to hold her comical pout, and they both laughed. Ashi felt good about that, remembering a time when Jack's words would've actually bothered her.

After they finished their meals, Jack paid the check (he got his paycheck today, and was eager to treat his date) and Ashi covered the tip. As they were leaving, they decided to head back to Jack's apartment, for another night of late-night TV on the couch; there was a convenience store right across from Taste of Edo, and so they crossed the street to pick up some booze for the night.

Jack and Ashi perused the selection of beers and IPAs, unable to come to a decision. She wanted the light beer she liked, but he was feeling something a little harder. Eventually, a particular brand caught their eye; a six-pack of beer with a stylized illustration of a Greco-Roman-looking soldier, obviously inspired by the name on the package.

Ashi pulled the only case left out of the fridge display. "I read about this actually! Apparently, there's a locally owned brewery in New Hampshire that just recently started selling an IPA around the country. This must be that IPA, 'The Spartan!'" she said in a dramatic voice, holding up the six-pack.

Jack looked carefully at the beer, "Do you think it's any good?"

"I'm willing to find out," Ashi shrugged, and Jack nodded. They both walked over to the counter, placing the beer in front of the cashier for him to ring it up. Ashi handed him a ten-dollar bill, and after putting the IPA in a plastic bag, he gave both to her. They thanked the clerk, and as they were walking out, Jack held the door for three hipsters that were coming in. None of them thanked him, and Ashi mused that that was rude.

One of them walked up to the counter, and pulled out a firearm, pointing it at the clerk. He spoke calmly, through horn-rimmed glasses and a handlebar moustache; "No funny business, alright? Once we get what want, we'll be outta your hair, and you can go back to your boring, mainstream life." The other two, another man with a wool beanie and piercings, and a woman with a blue hair and half her head shaved walked towards the back of the store where the fridge displays were. They searched the aisle, but quickly realized what they wanted wasn't there. They told the man with the gun up front, and he turned to the cashier, "Where's your Spartan!?" The terrified clerk stammered, "W-What, that IPA? Someone j-just bought the last one!"

The hipster assailant pinched the fuzz on his chin, "Well, is there anymore in the back!?" but the cashier shook his head, "N-No, I just put out the last of it, I swear!" Suddenly, he remembered the couple that just walked out, and that they were holding a plastic bag with a…. six-pack in it.

The hipster turned to his companions, "Those normies must've taken it, we have to catch up to them!" Without addressing the store clerk any further, the three potential robbers exited the store, heading off in the direction Jack and Ashi went.

/

"So, if you enjoyed that kind of work so much, why'd you stop?" Ashi asked, on the topic of Jack's year spent doing odd jobs around the neighborhood.

"It wasn't my decision. After I was…arrested, none of my usual employers would work with me anymore; AKu saw to it that any affiliation with me was not a good look, and I was essentially blacklisted. The only reason I work at Sheriff Mart is because they're understaffed as it is. Most people go nowhere near that place, but I had nowhere else to turn." Jack looked solemn as he spoke, but felt a little better when he felt Ashi's hand tighten, clasped in his.

Ashi thought for a moment, "You know, it's been a long time since your arrest, and I don't think it still reflects on you the way you think it does. Everyone's probably already forgotten about it, and you're not the same man you were then; I'm sure if you got back out there, all your old friends and neighbors would be happy to hear from you again." Jack smiled softly at her, and she reciprocated before a shout from behind caught their attention.

"Hey, you! Hold on a minute!" They both turned around as the three oddly dressed individuals, who were slightly bent over, panting. The one with the glasses caught his breath, pulling the gun out of his coat and pointing it at them. "Now don't do anything stupid, just give us what we want and you'll get out of here just fine," he spoke deliberately, holding his hand out next to the pistol.

Jack and Ashi stood there, caught off guard by their current situation, and started to reach for their wallets. The assailant spoke up, "No, we don't want money, we want that!" pointing at the plastic bag Jack was holding.

Ashi looked at the bag, then at the gunman, "Seriously, THAT'S all you want from us? Just some beer?"

The three hipsters started chuckling, seeming to forget they were robbing the couple. The girl scoffed, "See, that's exactly why you don't deserve it."

The one with the beanie chimed in, "If you were really in the know, you'd know that it's not just 'some beer'!"

Finally, the gentlemen with the gun stepped forward, "It's the Spartan IPA, and it's the first of its kind; a new label of beer that doesn't have any preconceptions towards the type of person it's for. But we're going to make one for it, and it's going to be for us!"

Jack and Ashi were not nearly as scared as they were a moment ago, "Okay…. Who are you then?" Jack raised an eyebrow at the strange trio.

The man with the gun smirked, "The fact that you don't know who we are means we're good at what we do. We are the Flannels!" He declared confidently, as his two cohorts stood next to him in poses that looked rehearsed. The couple was rather unimpressed.

"We've been making a name for ourselves around the city, but only with other non-conformists like us! If you're mainstream, we won't be seen!" the beanie hipster asserted, causing Jack and Ashi to cringe at the awful slogan. The blue-haired hipster spoke up again, "We've robbed every thrift store in the neighborhood, cleaning them out of every piece of merchandise that belongs to OUR aesthetic!"

"Including, that IPA you're holding," said moustache hipster. "We've scoured the city, cleaning out every convenience store we could find that had it on display. If any pitiful mainstreamer were to get their hands on Spartan, it will surely grow in popularity, and then our new signature beer is lost!" He finished gesturing, and pointed the gun at them again. "So, how about you do what's best for all of us, and give it here?"

Jack blinked, "Sure," and he swung the plastic bag up, knocking the gun out of the hipster's hand and into the air. Grabbing Ashi's hand and shouting, "RUN!" they both dashed off towards their parked vehicle. But when they turned into the alley they had left Jack's motorcycle, it was nowhere to be found. "I thought it was right here!" Ashi wondered, and Jack confirmed, "It should be, this is where we parked it!"

Just then, they heard the footsteps of the approaching hipster assailants. The gunmen turned the corner, immediately firing upon the pair, but Ashi had pulled the metal lid off a nearby trash can and blocked the bullets. Jack then grabbed a second one and threw it like a frisbee at the hipsters; it bounced off the alley walls and struck the gunmen, this time knocking him over. Thinking fast, Ashi leapt up and grabbed the fire ladder hanging off one of the buildings, Jack climbing up behind her.

His two companions helped him up, but their targets were already gone. Moustache hipster punched the ground in frustration. "Dammit, looks like we gotta tell the boss about this…"

Meanwhile, Jack and Ashi were running across rooftops, only concerned with escaping their assailants. When they got to a rooftop with a vacant patio setup, Jack dropped the beer onto the table and sat down, defeated. Ashi soon noticed he had stopped, "Jack, what are you doing? Shouldn't we keep moving?"

Jack shook his head, disregarding the possible danger, "I can't believe my bike was stolen, how could I have been so foolish?"

Ashi sat next to him, "Don't beat yourself up about it, you couldn't have known someone was going to take it. I mean, we had no idea we were going to get held up over some lousy beer!" she gestured to the six-pack sitting there, picking up a bottle. "They're so worried about image, I wonder if they've even tried this stuff?"

Suddenly, a thought popped into Jack's head. "Wait a second, didn't they say they had been robbing thrift stores all over?"

"Uhh, yeah. I think so, why?"

Jack pulled out his cell, "Scotsman was telling me earlier about a string of thrift store robberies, where they stole unusual items. I'd say it's a safe bet that 'the Flannels' are the ones responsible for those."

Ashi thought about it for a moment, "If that's the case, there might be a good chance they stole you motorcycle, too. I mean, it's pretty different from other bikes I've seen; seeing as how they like not fitting in, it wouldn't surprise me if they did take it."

Jack pulled up Scotsman's contact, and hit call. "Good point… Hi, Scotsman? Are you still on your shift? Good, because I have a new lead for you…"

/

Surveying the area was easy enough from the rooftops, but locating the Flannels amidst a sea of similar non-conformists proved much more difficult. Eventually though, they were able to pick the three hipsters that confronted them earlier out of the crowd; Jack and Ashi worked their way down from the rooftop, and began to quietly tail the trio.

Soon, they were led to an old warehouse on the east end of the neighborhood. It looked abandoned, but the amount of flannel wearing hipsters in the area tipped them off that this was probably their hideout. Jack quickly texted Scotsman the address, and they went to look for a way in.

The freight entrance seemed like the sensible choice, with only a couple hipsters standing guard; they were barely paying attention as they typed away on their phones. They seemed distracted enough already, but knocking down a couple trash cans worked well enough as diversion. The two guards wandered away to see the source of the noise, and Jack and Ashi quietly slipped through the freight hatch.

As they snuck through the old warehouse, they found a steel staircase leading up to the overhead walkway; seeing the corridor up ahead was heavily populated, they decided to take path up to the higher elevation.

They carefully made their way across the overhang, mindful of how noisy each step was on the steel walkway. Finally reaching the open area of the warehouse, they saw a gathering of Flannels, surrounding a man lounging in what appeared to be a throne made up of old junk. He wore a corduroy jacket, with skinny jeans and sandals over socks. He had a long, furry moustache-beard combo under a nose piercing and a pair of sunglasses. His hair was gathered up in a man bun.

The three hipsters from earlier approached him, and the mustached one stepped forward; "My dude, I've got some bad news…" he spoke somewhat nervously, and the man on the throne adjusted his shades so his eyes were peeking over them. "We stole just about every six-pack of Spartan in the city…except one. This couple bought the last case of it earlier tonight; we tried to steal it from them, but they were crafty, and they got away."

The three hipsters stood there, as the man in the throne stroked his beard. Finally, he spoke. "My dudes, let me level with you. I'm a little peeved that you failed to get all the Spartan, like I asked. But you know what? That was a pretty big job, but we still ended up with every case but one. That's a win, in my book. On top of that, I finally found the perfect wheels, a one-of-a-kind vehicle for an important non-conformist like myself. Someone bring it out here so I can appreciate it more!" He snapped his fingers, and a couple more hipsters rolled Jack's motorcycle out from under a tarp in the corner of the warehouse.

Ashi was about to suggest that it was time to make their move, but Jack had already taken the initiative. He climbed down ladder against the wall, taking cover behind the piles of thrift merchandise lining the room. Getting to the bike wasn't going to be too hard, but the overwhelming number of hipsters caused him to hesitate. Suddenly, he realized he wasn't carrying the beer; Ashi had it, and she was…walking right up to the hipsters!?

"Hey, King Misfit!" she shouted, and they all turned to see her holding up the IPA, "Looking for these?"

The moustache hipster shouted, "That's her, she's one of the ones who got away!"

The hipster leader got up from caressing the bike, "First off, I'm a Duke, because King's are too popular. Second, you should probably hand over that beer, or else your fate certainly won't be mainstream…as in, like, you're going to die here and no one will know, you know?"

Ashi rolled her eyes at the weak threat, "Oh don't worry, you'll get this, BUT only if you're willing to trade…"

The hipster "Duke" slowly took off his sunglasses and hung them on the V of his flannel shirt, "I'm listening…" he said as he walked away from Jack's motorcycle.

Ashi quickly glanced at Jack off to the side, before placing the case of beer at her feet, and pulling one of the bottles out. "It's quite simple, really. You give up the bike, and I give you this IPA in exchange. You see, that vehicle belongs to my boyfriend, and we'd really appreciate if you let me get it back to him."

Jack stopped dead at the mention of the word "boyfriend", blushing profusely as the Duke and his hipsters started laughing. "You know, you're really in no position to make that deal. Look how many of us there are compared to you? We could totally just take the beer from you and kill you now."

Ashi feigned surprise, "Oh gosh, I didn't think of that. And here I am, throwing myself in front of you guys like some big heroine, I must look so silly! In fact, all this tension has got me parched, maybe I'll just…"

She reached to twist off the cap of the bottle she was holding, and the Duke immediately panicked. "STOP! GET HER, DON'T LET HER OPEN IT!" Suddenly, the whole crowd of hipsters sprang into action, and she quickly picked up the rest of the six-pack and avoided the first few tacklers.

As she danced around the attacking hipsters, Jack finally got to his bike. He inserted the key and started the engine, which caught the attention of the Duke who was standing nearby. He ran up to the bike to stop Jack, only to receive a hard kick in the chest, sending him crashing into his "throne". Half of the hipster mob took notice, while the other half was about to corner Ashi. With no other choice, she shouted, "JACK!" and threw the loose bottle high over the crowd's head. Before the bottle hit the ground, Jack sped over on his bike and caught it, before looping around the crowd to Ashi, who promptly hopped on. Jack handed the bottle back to Ashi, and she again threw it against the big red button next to the warehouse door, which slowly rose open. After circling in the space for a moment, the couple on the bike sped out of the warehouse, just as sirens were heard coming down the street. Sure enough, multiple police cruisers arrived at the scene, surrounding the warehouse.

Scotsman stepped out his vehicle, and spoke into a megaphone (not that he really needed it); "ALRIGHT, YOU FLANNEL-WEARIN', BEER-STEALIN', NON-CONFORMIN'-"

/

Finally getting back to Jack's building, he and Ashi got off the bike and exhaustedly made their way up to his apartment. They got through the door and immediately plopped next to each other on the couch; sharing a sigh, they both grabbed one of the remaining bottles of Spartan and twisted the caps off. They toasted to their victory and took a swig of the IPA, both pausing to consider the taste of the beer.

Ashi crinkled her nose, "It's…kinda bitter." Jack agreed, a little reluctant to describe his thoughts, "Yes, not as…flavorful as I anticipated." They sat there for a minute, until they both finally accepted that the IPA simply wasn't good. Ashi groaned, "Well, there goes our alcohol for the night…" but Jack chimed in, "Maybe not…" as he got up and went to the kitchen.

Reaching under the sink, Ashi jokingly asked if he they were going to drink bleach instead, until Jack came up to reveal a full bottle of sake he had been keeping for a special occasion. "While this occasion isn't exactly 'special', you certainly are," he quipped, and Ashi blushed as he kissed her.

And so, the rest of that night was spent with the two lovers drinking themselves silly over late night television. The ended up in Jack's bed, passed out, in each other's arms.

—END CHAPTER 8—

/


	10. Ashi vs Scotsman

—CHAPTER 9—

It was eleven in the morning on Friday, but the couple had yet to stir.

Eventually though, Ashi was the first to wake up; she got up from the bed, the movement of the double bed causing Jack to unwillingly awaken. He was on his side, and opened his eyes just enough to catch Ashi standing up from the bed, half-naked, and reaching up and out in a stretch. Immediately at attention, Jack quickly shut his eyes again, now sober enough to be embarrassed seeing her with little clothing.

Once he heard the bathroom door across from his room shut, he cracked one eye to make a final check; the coast was clear, so he sat up from the bed and ran his hands down his face. Ashi's butt may have woken him up, but he was still groggy and a little hungover. Jack tossed the covers aside and hopped off his bed, making the right out of his room towards the main area of his apartment.

The hallway from the bath and bedrooms lead straight to the front door, a main aisle between the living room and the kitchen. But what mainly separated the two rooms was a counter that wrapped around the corner, boxing off the kitchen, but not connecting to the perimeter walls of the apartment. The kitchen table was there in the corner of the barrier. A medium-sized television set was against the same wall as the front door, sitting across from the couch and coffee table. The main source of lighting in the apartment was a ceiling lamp, connected to the light switch right next to the front door; there was also a standing lamp in the corner of the room, which Jack hardly ever used since it had to be turned on manually. The only two windows were at the end of the hall and in Jack's bedroom.

Jack stepped into the kitchen and picked up the coffee pot from the stove, putting it under the sink and turning on the faucet. He then got the coffee can out of the cabinet and placed it on the counter, propping himself against the sink while waiting for the coffee pot to fill.

Jack closed his eyes for a moment, and suddenly the sound of the running water put him in a meditative state. He stood there with his eyes closed, listening to the water flow into the pot with a subtle echo; he was suddenly sitting under a waterfall, in a lotus position. He exhaled deeply, feeling extremely relaxed in the memory.

Suddenly, a pair of lithe arms wrapped around his torso, followed by a soft yawn; "Good morning," she purred, but Jack was far too distracted by the sensation of Ashi's breasts pressing against his bare back. When he didn't respond, Ashi spoke again, "…Jack?"

Jack finally forced himself to speak, "U-Uh good m-morning, Ashi! Did you s-sleep well?"

Ashi leaned her head on Jack's back as she spoke, "Mmhm. Not gonna lie, I could've laid in that bed all day. But I wouldn't want to waste the whole day sleeping in." Then she stopped, her head shifted, and Jack felt her palms lay themselves flat against his abdomen. "Jack, you're shaking. Are you cold? Go put some clothes on!" she ordered, letting him out of her embrace; Jack scurried away into his room as Ashi watched him go.

Ashi then noticed the coffee pot overflowing in the sink, so she picked up from where Jack left off. Leveling off the water in the pot, she put the coffee grounds in the percolator and placed it on the lit stove. Then she sat at the kitchen table with her legs crossed, her eyes wandering around the apartment as she waited for the coffee to perk. Ashi eventually decided to take out mugs and utensils from the cabinets in Jack's kitchen, in preparation for their caffeinated beverage. She easily found the mugs in one of the top cabinets, but the first draw she opened didn't have the utensils.

Instead, Ashi found a necklace of a samurai sword, on top of a small stack of colorful drawings. Curious, she picked them up and sifted through them; there was a white-robed figure with black hair in a top knot, and a strong chin, wielding a sword akin to the charm on the necklace. The more she looked at the noble figure, the more she thought it looked like Jack—or at least, what she imagined Jack would look like if he shaved and still wore a top knot. Like in that dream she had! Ashi kept looking through the various drawings, and came upon a black demon-looking figure with a green face and a goatee and eyebrows made of fire. It looked vaguely familiar…

As she flipped through the pages, Jack came out from his room in a white tee, grey sweatpants and slippers. "Didn't you say you wanted to look through circulars today? After breakfast, we can…" He stopped when he noticed what she was holding. Ashi looked up to see Jack staring at her, suddenly realizing how nosy she was being, and shoved the drawings back in the drawer. "Jack! I was just looking for, um… utensils! But I opened the wrong drawer, and I just happened to stumble upon these…" Jack's blank stare turned into a slight smirk, amused at her embarrassed explaining, and she sighed; "…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snoop."

Jack snickered, "You don't need to apologize, you didn't see anything you're not supposed to. Those drawings… I just can't stand to look at them anymore."

Ashi raised an eyebrow, picking up the drawings again. "Why? They're not bad; they're actually pretty good. When did you draw them?"

Jack started leaning against the kitchen cabinets, with his arms crossed; "Around the time we knew each other, actually. I was only eight years old."

Jack turned to look away from her with a serious look, so Ashi moved to be in his line of sight again. She had a sympathetic expression, "And? Jack, what's wrong with them?" The genuine concern she showed made his furrowed brow raise, and he sighed as his arms dropped to his side, resting on the counter.

"They remind me of the person… I failed to be." Jack picked up the necklace sitting in the drawer.

Ashi raised an eyebrow in confusion, "…An artist?" she asked innocently.

Jack smirked, "No, a Samurai…" Now Ashi was even more confused. "I know, it sounds silly. But my Father always taught me to live by a code of honor; to always rely on the power of righteousness. I grew up on those ideals, and I wore this to remind myself that there is always hope that good will prevail," he clutched the sword charm tightly, "But, I've learned that that's not always the case. This world does not care about injustice, it remains apathetic to the suffering of innocents. I've tried to fight it, to be a hero, yet the suffering continues. There is no purpose, no hope. I just feel… lost."

Jack's gaze was fixed firmly on the floor. This had clearly been troubling him for a long time, and a simple "I'm sorry," just wouldn't cut it. He was lost, what could Ashi say that would possibly fix that? Lost. She mused on the word, and was suddenly hit by inspiration in the form of a memory of her own.

Ashi looked at him with a serious expression, "Jack, can I tell you a story?" He looked up with slight confusion, "Um, sure." Ashi began: "When I had just turned thirteen, my Father enrolled me and my sisters into this ritzy boarding school on the West Coast. Winterwood Academy; it was way up in the mountains, the only thing around it was trees and wilderness, pretty secluded. Anyway, they would have monthly hikes out into the woods, but they were pretty strict about it; you had to stay with the group at all times and never stray from the path. I always went because I loved going out into nature, but I wasn't very good at following directions. The first time I went on the hike, I wandered too far from the group and got myself lost. The woods were nice and all, but not when you have no idea where you are and your school prison was the only civilization for miles. I was terrified, stumbling through the forest, trying to find my way back to the group. Eventually, I came to an opening in the brush. I thought I was back at the school, but I had actually stumbled upon a waterfall flowing into a rocky stream. It was so beautiful that I had completely forgotten how lost and afraid I was. I sat there on the rocks, and listened to the sound of the rushing water; and it was such a sunny, perfect day. I stayed there for I don't even know how long, feeling so relaxed; but eventually, the group I was with came to the clearing. They'd been looking for me, and I got in so much trouble that day for straying so far," she laughed as she remembered, but Jack's blank stare brought her back.

"Um, what I'm trying to say with this is: I was lost, but I ended up finding something I didn't know I needed." Ashi picked Jack's hands from their resting place on the counter, and held them as she spoke, "In the end, it helped me find my way again…" he looked down at his hands in hers, and then at her smile. He was still holding the sword charm, which was now interlocked in his and Ashi's fingers. They stood, holding hands and smiling at each other, until the sound of the coffee about to turn to mud ripped their attention away.

The coffee was ruined, but their growling stomachs were now apparent. Instead, they got dressed and headed out of the apartment to get breakfast, grabbing the latest classifieds out of Jack's mail as they left. After arriving at Brewshido, they bought their meals and sat at "their" table. Jack helped her look through the classifieds, circling ads she showed interest in; it was decided that on Monday, she would start calling the numbers, and hopefully begin working again.

Then the conversation shifted back to Jack's fantasy persona. Ashi was curious about the adventures of "Samurai Jack", so he gave her the rundown. Intrigued by the premise, Ashi asked if Jack ever came up with an ending. He shook his head, saying he had never thought of one. After all, "the Samurai" had lost his way; apparently, the demon had destroyed all of the time portals out there, rendering the Samurai's quest pointless.

After they left their new favorite coffee shop, they decided to go for a ride; they drove around the New North End for a while, at one point coming to a stoplight at a three-way intersection. Jack caught sight of the empty building at the end of the intersecting street, with a big lease sign on the window. The building looked like it used to be some sort of business, but there was no way of knowing what it was; the inside had been completely stripped, only a big empty space beyond the window. The second story was an apartment, so whoever once ran the business must've also lived above it.

Ashi noticed Jack staring at the building for sale, but instead of addressing it, she quietly took out her phone and snapped a picture of the for-sale sign in the window, which had a phone number listed for potential buyers. Then she mused to Jack, "That looks like a really nice place to run a business."

Jack snapped out of his focus on the building, and spoke up as the light turned green, "Yes, it does."

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful. They ended up at North Beach, took a walk on the boardwalk, and had a late lunch at one of the various food stands. Once the sun set, Jack dropped Ashi at her apartment; she wanted to shower and put on fresh clothes before they went out with Scotsman that night, and Jack went back to his place to do the same.

They were both ready around a quarter to nine, so Jack called his friend to make sure he was still going. Scotsman was offended that Jack would even suggest he wouldn't be going out, and with that affirmation, Jack left to pick up Ashi and then they headed to Da Samoorai's Pad.

Grabbing on of the round tables Jack and Scotsman were sitting at last week, they sat down with their first round of drinks (courtesy of Sam, the bartender) and waited for Scotsman to arrive. Not even five minutes after they got settled did he come barging in, shouting for Sam to pour him a drink; he was never shy about collecting Sam's complimentary first drink. He took the drink Sam poured him, and joined Jack and Ashi at the table.

"Well, if it ain't the newlyweds! You two look like yer goin' on a few years now!" The couple now realized how close they were sitting to one another and awkwardly moved apart, both flustered.

Jack gathered himself, and finally greeted his good friend, "Hello, Scotsman! It's good to see you again. This is Ashi, my…" he froze in uncertainty until Ashi looked him in the eyes, assuring him with a smile, "Girlfriend."

Scotsman reached across the table to shake Ashi's hand, drawing her gaze away from Jack. "It's a pleasure to meet ya, Ashi! You can call me Scotsman!"

Ashi returned the handshake, painful as it was, "Nice to meet you!"

Scotsman took a swig of his drink, then spoke, "So, I wanted to thank the two'a you fer catchin' on to those wily thieves last night! That was the biggest bust we've had since ya left, Jack!"

Jack smiled at the implied compliment, "I'm just glad I was able to recover my bike, it would've been a real pain if I had lost my ride."

"So, what happens to the hipsters now?" Ashi asked.

"They go to jail, but not before they tell us everything 'bout how they developed their operation; they had a pretty complex system goin' on in that warehouse'a theirs, ain't no way it was all them. Someone was funding them from behind the curtain, an' I'll betcha I know who it was…"

Scotsman shot a look to Jack as he said that, and the latter had the same idea, finishing the thought for his friend, "AKu…"

There it is again, Ashi thought. Once again, her Father was being name dropped as the cause of a seemingly unrelated situation; what the hell did he have to do with a bunch of pilfering hipsters? So, she inquired their reasoning.

"Wait, what does AKu have to do with this?" Ashi asked, "I don't see how that's relevant."

After taking a sip, Jack answered, "It may sound unbelievable, but AKu indirectly funds criminal organizations of all kinds, no matter how petty. It's all part of his scheme to get involved in politics; the more problems there are in the world, the more ammunition he has for his platform. And he has all the money and influence he needs to cover his tracks."

"Which also means he can snuff out any law enforcement agencies that get too close to his underhanded operations, like me and Jack were always doin'!" Scotsman interjected angrily, obviously peeved about his neutered position of power.

"That's why I quit the force, we got a new commissioner at our precinct who was himself being funded by AKu, to keep cops like us from getting involved in anything that would interfere with his 'business'."

Jack took another big sip from his drink as Scotsman chimed in again, "That two-timin' arseface even came to our precinct on more than one occasion, to personally 'congratulate' us on our hard work in busting his criminal scum, can ye believe that? I was ready to sock him right in that cheeky grin'a his, but Jack here was a little nicer about it somehow."

Jack shook his head, "Believe me, it took everything I had not to lose my temper with that fiend, after everything he's done…"

Ashi was sitting there, sipping nervously as the two men continued to rag on her Father's actions. She always thought he was up to something shady, but she would never have dreamed he was responsible for the epidemic of crime going on in Burlington, and everywhere else perhaps. She was hard pressed to believe what they were saying, but she knew Jack would never lie about something like that, and assumed Scotsman was honest as well.

And now she was once again worried about her affiliation with AKu; if they hated the man so much, there's a good chance they'd bash his children, too… wait, did they even know he had children? With morbid curiosity, Ashi spoke up, "You know, I h-hear AKu's got kids…"

Jack and Scotsman turned to her as though she had three heads; granted, her comment was somewhat out of left field. But she relaxed when Scotsman addressed what she said, "No kidding! I can only imagine what those tykes are like. Probably a bunch of spoiled brats, completely oblivious to dear ole' Dad's shenanigans, so long as it don't interfere with their lives'a luxury!"

Ashi was a little offended at first, but he wasn't wrong. She herself wasn't like that, but his description fit her sisters pretty well, and six out of seven made her into an outlier. "Hey, let's not blame the children for the sins of the Father; whatever AKu's kids are like, we must remember that they are individuals who are responsible for their own lives. They have a right to their own reputations," Jack asserted his opinion, and hearing how he (unknowingly) felt about her was reassuring to Ashi.

Scotsman scoffed, "It don't matter what his kids are like, AKu don't know nothing about what it means to be a Father!" Right again, Ashi thought. "Without a proper upbringin', you'll never end up with a daughter like me Flora!"

He took out his plaid wallet, and pulled a handful of pictures out from the fold, handing them to Ashi. "Take a look at me precious bonnie lass, she's me pride and joy!" She shuffled through the photos, one of which was of Flora, posed very professionally against a colored backdrop; most likely a school photo. The second one was of Scotsman carrying Flora on his shoulders, wearing a yellow and green jersey and holding up an impressive trophy; it was obviously a celebratory photo of some sporting event his daughter was involved in.

The last photo was of Scotsman, hand-in-hand with a very large, somewhat homely woman; "Is this your wife?" Ashi asked, and Scotsman nodded proudly.

"Aye, the most beautiful dainty damsel that ever graced this world with her majestic presence! She's an angel with the most soothing, melodic voice you'll ever hear; not even the singing of birds can compare to the glorious sound of her golden pipes!"

"Oh, is she classically trained? She looks like an opera singer," Ashi joked, thinking it was clever, but it didn't take how she thought it would.

Scotsman raised an eyebrow, "…What d'ya mean by that?" Jack's eyes widened, as he knew where this was going. He turned to Ashi, carefully watching her response; still wearing a pleasant smile, she had no idea what she was dealing with.

"I… was just making a joke. I mean, opera singers are obviously good at singing, but the stereotype is that they tend to be, you know…large." Ashi's confidence in her statement faded as the words left her lips. Realizing she had walked into a semantic trap, she did her best to make her phrasing digestible.

But Scotsman's interrogating look turned into a surprised expression, "Ohhh, so ya weren't just calling me wife fat, ye were insultin' her lovely voice, too? Now, that's just uncalled for, lass," Scotsman sat back in his chair with disapproval, his arms crossed.

Ashi shook her head, "No, no! I wasn't trying to offend, but I'm sorry it came off like that. Look, let's just drop the subject."

She took an uncomfortable swig of her drink as Scotsman nodded, "Don't worry, Ashi, I completely understand what's goin' on here."

Now Ashi raised _her_ brow, "Oh yeah?"

"Of course! You obviously feel threatened by me talking about me beautiful wife, what with Jack sittin' right there! I always try to avoid talkin' about her around him, just to prevent him from fallin' head over heels for my love muffin!" Jack exhaled, feeling the situation start to deescalate.

But then Scotsman continued; "I mean it's not every day a girl's gotta compete with the perfect woman. Especially ones who lack the manners of a lady! You must be terrified that me wife's beauty'll whisk yer boyfriend away; you've only been seein' him a week, but he's known me wife fer at least three years! Ye gotta lot to live up to, Lass!"

Scotsman held his stomach in laughter, as Ashi scowled at him. "Hey, it's not MY fault the guy who's always talking big can't take a joke himself. Your beloved wife must have the patience of a saint to deal with your constant blustering!"

Scotsman was now taken aback, "Wha… Jack, how could you pick such a rude lass to be yer lady? Surely ye can do better!"

Jack sighed, "Scotsman, don't…"

Before he could continue, Ashi brought her fist down on the table, "Hey! What are you talking to him for? If you have something to say, say it to ME!"

Again, Jack interjected, "Ashi, please!" and again he was ignored.

"My pleasure!" Scotsman slowly leaned over the table as he replied, "Yer. RUDE." He was in Ashi's face when he said that, standing over the table.

Ashi got up to match him, "I guess that makes two of us, huh?"

"Aye, ye gonna do somethin' bout it?"

"You wouldn't like it if I did."

Jack pleaded with his friends, "Please, can we all just take it easy?"

"Ooooh, I'm shakin' in me boots! I ain't afraid'a no twiggy thing, yer outta yer weight class!"

"Underestimating me is a mistake, care to find out how wrong you are?

They were face-to-face now, "I thought ye'd never ask…"

Suddenly, Jack wedged himself between the two, pushing them apart. "Enough! The two of you need to relax! There is absolutely no need for violence, stop acting like children!"

The two opponents stood there like they were fighting on the playground and the teacher had just yelled at them. Finally, Scotsman piped up; "Aye, Jack's right. What kind'a people would we be to solve our dispute with a lowly barfight?"

Ashi nodded, "Yes, that kind of solution is not appropriate. There are much more sensible ways to settle this."

"Very good, I'm glad you two have come to your senses," said Jack, relieved.

But then Scotsman declared, "In that case, let's settle this with an ole' fashioned drinking contest!"

"Yes, that's a much better… wait, I didn't mean…" but Jack had already lost their attention again.

"Unless yer afraid to be humiliated!" Scotsman boasted.

Ashi scoffed, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about me. You might want to keep a garbage bin on hand for when you finally vomit, though."

Scotsman merely laughed it off. "Yer outta yer league, missy! Ain't no way yer goin' to outdrink a Scot, we're renowned for our drinking habits!"

Ashi looked at him skeptically, "Isn't that an Irish thing?"

"Now yer really askin' fer it!"

Suddenly, Sam ran up to the table, "Aye, man! Did I hear somethin' bout a drink-off over here?" Jack attempted to say no, but Sam had already assumed yes, "HEY, Y'ALL! WE BOUT TO HAVE A DRINK OFF UP IN HERE! LET'S MAKE THIS OFFICIAL!"

The rest of the bar assisted in moving the tables around, setting it up so that Ashi and Scotsman were across from each other on a long rectangular table. Sam placed a large pitcher of beer in front of both of them, "Alright, first challenger to throw up, pass out, or otherwise give up, loses. On the count of three…"

Jack sat on the sidelines, holding face in his palm.

/

"Ashi. Ashi, wake up."

Ashi groaned as Jack shook her awake. She was sprawled out on her stomach in her bed, with messy hair and a thin strand of saliva coming off the pillow from her mouth, which she quickly wiped away. Jack was sitting at the edge of the bed, wearing the typical tee shirt and jeans he wore for work. It was quarter to nine, Jack at work at nine thirty.

"How are you feeling?" asked Jack, as she peeled herself from the bed and rubbed her eyes.

"I feel like I got hit by a truck… what happened?"

Jack stroked his chin as he recounted the night's events: "Well, we went to the bar with Scotsman, and the two of you got into a confrontation that culminated in a drinking contest."

Ashi looked at him through one eye, her left hand still covering the other one, "Okay… I remember all of that, what about after that?"

Jack started smiling, "Well, the two of you were about six pitchers in…"

/

"Wassa matter, lassss… ye look a lil' woooooozy. Maybe… ye should throw in the towel… before ye go past the point'a noo returnnn," Scotsman slurred at Ashi, who was supporting herself on the pitcher she had just finished.

"Awww, is the biiig baaad Scot…sman losing steam? Well I'm JUST getting warmed up, pal!" she hiccupped mid-sentence. Jack was sitting in between the two competitors, his elbows on the table supporting his chin, looking quite bored.

Sam brought over another couple of pitchers and placed them on the table. Scotsman picked his up sloppily, spilling a good amount; "So what… ye can put away a few pintsss, doesn' make ye tough, lass. Ye wouldn' last a day on the force, doin' what I do fer a livin'!"

Ashi scoffed, "Puh-leeeze! I could do your job FIVE TIMES better than yooou can!"

"That so? Well, why don't ye proove it? Join me tomorrow on duty, an' show me ye got the mettle!" Scotsman challenged, slamming his finished pitcher down.

Ashi had just finished hers, "You're…SO. ON. Unless you're afraaid of being outshined by a guuuurl, tough guy!" she slurred.

Scotsman then slapped the table in front of Jack, who had started nodding off at this point; "JACK! I need ye… to do me a favor…"

/

"…and then he asked me to call him this morning to remind him to pick you up once he got on duty. So, here I am." Ashi stared blankly at Jack. She didn't remember any part of what he recounted after the drinking contest started, but apparently, she had agreed to spend an entire day riding around in a police cruiser… with Scotsman.

Ashi groaned, falling back onto the pillow, "Do I haaave tooo?"

Jack moved closer to her on the bed, "Well, no. But it would mean a lot to me if you gave my good friend another chance. And who knows, you might enjoy it more than you think you will." He looked at her affectionately, and she couldn't find it in her to say no to that face.

"… Okay, I'll do it. If only to stick it to that walking stereotype," Ashi held up a fist in determination, then she kissed Jack on the cheek.

She got up from bed and went to the bathroom, quickly completing her morning routine while Jack finished his coffee. As he left for work, Ashi kissed him goodbye and then finished getting dressed; she wore a black hooded sweatshirt over dark grey sweatpants with running sneakers. She wanted to wear something easy to move in, and she also didn't care what she looked like in front of Scotsman.

Once Ashi was dressed and ready, she sat on the stoop of her apartment to wait. About ten minutes later, a police cruiser pulled up in front of her, and she walked over to it and got in the passenger side. "Scotsman," she greeted blankly.

"Ashi," he replied with equal enthusiasm. Both of them stared straight ahead as they addressed each other.

"How did he get you to go through with it?" she asked.

"We made a bet… I paid in advance," Scotsman muttered, not fully awake, "Let's just get this over with…"

/

Grabbing his apron off the rack, Jack tied it around his back, adjusted his nametag, and walked out onto the sales floor.

He was in a pretty good mood, considering his best friend and his girlfriend were now obligated to spend the day in close proximity to each other. Jack hoped that Ashi would warm up to Scotsman by the end of the day, understanding that his personality requires some getting used to; but he was also a very genuine person, as was Ashi, which is why Jack expected them to eventually come to terms with each other. And he knew Ashi would be able to handle anything Scotsman could throw at her.

Saturday at Sheriff Mart meant scanning merchandise to see how many units were needed for the next delivery. As Jack made his way through the aisles, a couple things seemed off today. First, his manager and fellow employees were nowhere to be found; they weren't in the employee area of the store, the only place left for them to be was the door with the keypad in the back of the aisles. Jack had been working there for over a year, yet he was never given access to that door. It must just be the manager's office, but why would everyone else be in there, too?

The second thing he noticed was a distinctive smell that wafted through the store. The place having some sort of odor wasn't unusual, but it was normally relegated to one part of the store; this smell was everywhere, and Jack couldn't put his finger on it.

Jack thought he should go look into these oddities, but just then he noticed the lack of cashiers at the registers, and a small line of customers beginning to form. Looks like the investigation would have to wait.

/

Ashi was about to pull her hair out.

Without a word, Scotsman drove them to a block in the old North End, where a shady little smoke shop resided. They were parked across the street from the shop, the perfect spot for a stakeout; Scotsman sat there with binoculars, staring at the establishment, as Ashi was left to twiddle her thumbs. There they sat for over an hour, watching all kinds of people walk in and out of the smoke shop, and Scotsman was silent and still in his surveillance.

Ashi finally broke the silence, "You wanna tell me what the hell we're waiting for? We've been sitting here all day so far, and literally nothing has happened! If you want to bust these people, then bust them already!"

Scotsman finally broke his gaze on the store, turning to Ashi, "Listen, don' tell ME how to do MY job! There's been a new strain'a meth goin' around town, and I got a lead that points right to this place. Ye think I don' want te march in there and cuff the bastards? A' course I do, but ye can't just barge into a place cause ye got suspicions; ye gotta do some reconnaissance first, then once ye got yer proof, THEN you can crack some heads!" He went back to watching the store, "It's aaaall about patience, lass."

Ashi furrowed her brow, then opened the passenger door and got out of the car. It took Scotsman a second to realize that she wasn't seated next to him, but was actually walking across the street to the very store he was staking out. He shouted in a whisper to her, "ASHI, GET BACK OVER HERE RIGHT NOW BEFORE YE BLOW EVERYTHING."

But she kept walking, and into the store she went. Scotsman swore to himself and got out of the car, running over to the store window to see what she would do. Ashi went up to the counter, where a pale, gangling man with bad teeth stood behind. There were various smoking tools and accessories lining the wall behind him, and the hinged counter separated it from the rest of the store.

He spoke in a Southern drawl, "Can I help you?"

Ashi smiled politely, casually holding her hands in her pockets. "Good morning, sir! I was wondering what particular products you sold in this establishment?"

The clerk gave her a skeptical look, "What d'ya mean, what'cha see is what I got; tobacco and tobacco accessories. Take it or leave it!" he barked.

Ashi chuckled, "I'm afraid you misunderstand me, I'm looking for something a little more… potent, if you catch my drift," she spoke discreetly, leaning over the counter, and the clerk seemed to finally catch on.

"Weeell, I may have jus' the thing yer lookin' for, little lady", he reached behind under the counter, disappearing for a moment, before emerging with a tiny bag full of what looked like white powder.

"Fresh batch, jus' came in this mornin'. How about a sample?" he handed her the dime bag.

Ashi held her chin theatrically, looking at it like a discerning customer, "Hmm, oh yes. This is exactly what I'm looking for…" she turned to Scotsman as she spoke, waving the drugs at him with a smug look on her face.

"W-What!?" Suddenly, he barged into the store, not realizing he was not in civilian clothes like she was, "Oh sure, ye can just waltz in an' get a dime just cause yer not in uniform! Well what if ye were actually an officer of the law, THEN what would ye do?"

Ashi shrugged, "I'd probably just go undercover, which I don't know why you didn't do in the first place."

"Undercover!? Ohhh, why didn't I think'a that? Ye sure are a bright one, lass!" Scotsman mocked, "A course I thought'a that, ye ninny! But I been on the force for years now, ye think a single criminal in this city couldn't pick me out of a crown regardless'a what I'm wearin'? I'm a distinctive man!"

The clerk was taken off guard by the sudden intrusion, but now he understood what was going on; "Wait a minute, yer wit' him!?" He reached below the counter again, this time for a pistol taped underneath. Right as he pulled it out, Ashi brought the hinged counter over his hand, slamming it and the firearm down. She followed up by grabbing the clerk's head and slamming that against the counter as well, and he fell back against the wall of merchandise.

Scotsman came around behind the counter and picked up the clerk by his collar with one hand, taking the dime bag from Ashi and holding it up with the other. "Now listen here, ye drawling punk! Yer gonna tell us where ye got this from, and then maybe yer face won't be rearranged!"

The clerk hissed at Scotsman, "I ain't afraid'a you, pig! Y'all goody-goody po-lice officers ain't allowed to get rowdy!"

Scotsman smirked, "Aye, but SHE ain't an officer…" gesturing to Ashi behind him, who was staring daggers at the clerk while cracking her knuckles.

The crook gulped nervously, still feeling the pain of his face against the hardwood countertop. "A-Alright, alright! I'll tell you everything! But I swear, I'm just a distributor, they don't tell me where it's made! I can give you the name of my supplier though, see what you can figure from there!" he nervously pulled a small slip of paper with an address.

Scotsman grabbed the paper and examined it before looking back at the clerk, pulling him close to his face one last time, "Stick to selling tobacco, and ye won't be seeing us again…" and released the man's shirt as he got up.

Ashi was confused, "Wait, we're not going to arrest him? Did you forget that he tried to pull a gun on us!"

But Scotsman shook his head, "It's complicated. If I arrest this creep, then the whole investigation needs to be stopped so I can fill out a week's worth'a time-consumin' paperwork. Not to mention, my boss'll be on my case for acting on a lead without being assigned to it. By the time I get back into it, all the leads'll have gone cold. Crooks like him are a dime'a dozen, but this is a one-shot deal; we're not making any arrests until we find the source'a this!" he pointed to the dime bag in his hand.

Ashi was shocked at how absurd the whole system sounded, "Wow, you guys weren't kidding about how screwed up your job had become. I can see why Jack got sick of it."

Scotsman nodded solemnly, "Aye, we lost a good cop to this blasted system. Things just haven't been the same fer me without Jack. He was the best partner I ever worked with, by far; fer three years we ran this city, criminals didn' stand a chance!" Ashi smiled, thinking about her boyfriend; she wondered how work was going for him.

"But enough reminiscin', we got a lead to follow! Come on, partner!" Scotsman hollered, running off to his cruiser, and Ashi readily followed.

/

Something was definitely up.

Jack was four hours into his shift, but his manager hadn't said a word to him. Usually by now, he would get at least one incoherent, rambling comment about his work ethic, but it never came. The Sheriff just went in and out of his "office" all day, grabbing innocuous items off the shelves and bringing them back with him into the locked door.

He was running out of things to do in the store, there weren't even enough customers for him to be on register consistently. He tried knocking on the office door a couple times, but he either got no answer or "DONYUBEKNOKINONTHISDOWENYUSUPPOSTBEOUTHERWERKINNDELPINCUSTMERSYUGITBACOUTDERANLEEVMEBE!" so he stopped trying. The smell from earlier was also stronger near the office door.

Soon after, he was finishing up with a customer at the register when he saw red and blue lights flashing outside; the customer he was helping walked out the front doors, as two familiar faces walked in past him.

Jack called out, walking out from behind the register towards them. "Scotsman? Ashi? What are you both doing here?" As they explained, they had been following clues to the source of a new strain of crystal meth that had been going around, and it led them to Jack's place of work. "That would definitely explain the smell," he thought, then gestured to his companions, "Here, follow me."

He led them to the locked office door, and knocked a couple times; "Sir, it's me again. Someone is here who wishes to speak to you, it sounds very important!" They heard the door unlock, and crack open slightly to reveal the Sheriff peeking through.

Scotsman stood there in the doorway and greeted, "Afternoon!" The sheriff squealed like a pig and quickly shut the door, locking it again.

Scotsman mused, "It ain't exactly an admission'a guilt, but it'll do fer me!" and prepped to break down the door. Stepping back and pausing, he brought his foot up to deliver a swift and solid kick to the door, which swung open and hit against the wall.

The trio carefully stepped into the office to find it completely empty, aside from the tacky alligator themed knick-knacks that decorated the room. "Wha- Where'd he go!?" Scotsman quickly looked back and forth, befuddled by the suspect's disappearance. Meanwhile, Jack and Ashi started examining the room, looking for some sort secret entrance; they finally found it when Ashi moved the lower jaw of an alligator head mounted on the left wall, and the wall next to it opened up to a hidden staircase. Scotsman stepped in first, pulling out his gun and turning to the others, "Alright, you two. This could get hairy, stay behind me!"

The three of them quietly and carefully stepped down the winding stairs, anticipating and eventful encounter. Finally, they came to a large steel door at the bottom of the stairs. They opened it to find a large room, full of machinery and equipment for meth-making; all of the chemicals and materials were there on the tables, and there were hazmat suits and ventilation masks hanging on the wall. But most pressing was the small group of armed men waiting in the corner, with the Sheriff at the helm, "DERDOSLAWPEEPLARYUGITYERGUNSOUTANPUHOLESINDERFACESANALLOVERDERBODIESLIKEDATDERSWISSCHEESYUHEARME!" and the group began to open fire.

The three pseudo-cops dove behind one of the machines, and Scotsman swore, "This don't look good, we're hopelessly outnumbered AND outgunned. We're gonna have to use the old wits…" he turned to see his cohorts had already dispersed, attempting to get the jump on their assailants. "Oh, for the love of- CAN BOTH'A YE STOP DOIN' THAT!?"

The gang of shooters had dispersed as well, patrolling the maze-like walkways between the large machines. One by one, Jack and Ashi ambushed each of them, while Scotsman kept their attention with a firefight. Finally, it only the Sheriff was left standing. He carefully stepped around the corner, waiting to me taken from behind. He came around the bend to find Scotsman at one end, coming his way; he turned around, only for Jack to be there with a stolen gun, blocking his path. The two closed in on him, and he stood there with his gun, switching back and forth between the two targets. Suddenly, Ashi tackled him from atop the machine he was up against, forcing him onto his stomach. Scotsman tossed her his handcuffs, and she used them to subdue the fake lawman.

Later that day, the rest of the police force was there to examine the scene, and collect all the subdued criminals. Jack was being interviewed by a different officer, having been in close proximity to the illicit operation for some time. Meanwhile, Ashi and Scotsman sat on the sidewalk and talked.

"Ye know, I had ye pegged all wrong, Ashi. I thought ye were just some uppity lass that bit off more than ye could chew, but ye got a lot'a guts! I was really impressed by yer performance today!" Scotsman commended.

Ashi rubbed her neck humbly, "Well, it wasn't all me; your muscle definitely helped me get along. I'm not very intimidating, after all."

"Don' be modest, lass! Ye had that smoke shop clerk shakin' in his boots! Yer actions speak fer themselves, and they scream how tough ye are!" Ashi laughed out of flattery, "Why, ye remind me'a when Jack first joined me on patrol, he was a natural, just like ye! In fact, I'd be more than happy to get ye a place in the force; ye can be my official partner, if yer interested!"

Ashi looked at him in surprise, and sat there in contemplation for a moment, until she saw Jack over by the other officers. "Thank you for the offer, but… while I enjoyed myself out there today, I should focus on other things for the time being."

Scotsman saw where her gaze was fixed, "Ya really like him, don'tcha?"

"Yes. He's… amazing," Ashi looked up at him, eyes aglow, "I've never met a guy like him; he's so polite and respectful, and he actually listens to me. And, you know, the beard threw me off at first, but now I think it's kind of sexy actually. And his eyes… he gets this intense look sometimes that's just so…"

Scotsman cut her off, "Alright, I heard enough. Yer as bad as him! It's a wonder ye got any teeth left between the two'a ya!" Ashi gave him an inquisitive look, to which Scotsman replied with a smile, "He spoke'a ye the same way, safe to say he knows how ye feel, lass!" And the glow was back.

Just then, Jack walked over to see them chatting amicably, "It's nice to see the two of you getting along finally, even if you did lose me my job in the process."

They all laughed at that, and Scotsman got up to pat his friend on the back, "Aye, take good care'a this one, Jack! She's a keeper!" he said with a wink, and Jack met Ashi's eyes lovingly.

"Now, since the three'a us are free, how 'bout we go get somethin' fer dinner? My treat!" Scotsman bellowed.

"That sounds lovely," Ashi said as she stood up, and Scotsman put an arm over her shoulder as well.

And so, Jack and Ashi followed behind Scotsman as they drove to Scotsman's restaurant of choice, not yet concerned about the food that was about to be thrust upon them.

/

After a bizarre meal, Jack drove Ashi back to her apartment since she had mentioned it had been a long day.

Ashi hopped off the bike and turned to kiss Jack goodbye. "Goodnight," he whispered as she pulled away from the kiss.

She looked back at him as she walked up the stoop, "See ya later, Samurai!" she winked. Jack recoiled slightly, flustered, and drove off as Ashi giggled.

Once she was back in her apartment, she dropped her purse on the table and walked into her room, plopping down on her bed and stretching out comfortably. Ashi lay there, staring up at the ceiling for a good minute before she thought of something.

Struck by inspiration, Ashi got up from her bed and walked to her desk, pulling out a fresh sheet of paper and a pencil as she sat down. Turning on the desk lamp, she tapped the pencil against her forehead as she pondered where to begin.

Finally, she put the pencil to the paper and made a few lines that would become the torso, then put a small circle above it where the head would be.

—END CHAPTER 9—

/


	11. Jack, Ashi, and the Odd Jobs

—CHAPTER 10—

"I'm telling you! Just give it a chance, what have you got to lose?"

Ashi was referring to Jack's alleged reputation among his friends and neighbors. Now that he was unemployed again, his worries about being blacklisted had resurfaced.

It was Sunday night, the second one of October, and the couple was sitting in Jack's living room; they had finished eating take-out a while ago and were now simply watching TV. Ashi sat right up against Jack on the couch. A late-night talk show was on, which they were barely paying attention to.

Jack sighed, "I suppose there's no harm in getting back out there. Maybe I'll take a walk around the neighborhood tomorrow while you're at work. Speaking of, which ad are you taking first?"

Ashi pondered for a moment, "The landscaping one—well, it's actually just gardening, I think."

"Oh, at Oakland Country Club? I use to do all kinds of labor at that place," said Jack.

"Yep, that's it," Ashi smiled.

Jack yawned, "The club members are surprisingly polite to the workers. You'll like Mr. Rothschild, he was a club member when I was there. I wonder if he still is?"

Ashi smiled, "If I see him, I'll tell him you said hello."

Jack looked at her warily, "Uhhh…"

"Or better yet," she continued, "You could come with me tomorrow and say hello yourself!" Jack sucked in air through his teeth, glancing at the ceiling, and Ashi pouted at him, "Come on, Jack!"

He threw up his hands, "Alright, look. Tomorrow, I'll visit a few of my old employers just to… test the water. If it goes well, I'm all set to start working again."

Ashi raised an eyebrow, "Why can't you just come with me to the Country Club?" she asked.

"Well, there's no guarantee they'd have work to accommodate me if I just showed up. Plus, I wouldn't want your association with me to hurt your employment," he answered.

Ashi rolled her eyes; "Ugh, get over yourself!" she teased, and Jack chuckled.

Just then, the talk show playing in the background caught their attention. The camera zoomed in on the host at his desk, Clark Davis, as he introduced the next guest; "Welcome back! Up next, we have the self-proclaimed, 'Master of Masters'. He's got his name on just about any type of product you can think of, and his recent transition into politics has made him one of the most controversial public figures in recent history. Please welcome, the man who only goes by three letters, AKu!"

And there he was on screen, strutting out from backstage over a mixture of applause and boos. AKu made his way over to the talk show set, where the host had stood up to shake his hand, then took a seat in the lounge chair adjacent to the desk. Wearing his usual sharp black suit, a sat crossed-legged in the guest chair, with a comfortable grin on his face.

Ashi glanced at Jack, who was gazing intently at the screen. The host spoke up as the audience finally died down, "So, AKu. How was your week?" His guest smiled, "My week was MAREVELOUS, just like every other week! Life is good, Clark."

The host smirked, "I'd imagine that's easy for you to say; after all, you are currently one of the wealthiest men in the nation, there's not a single person in the audience or watching at home that doesn't know your name, AND you're standing in the polls is surprisingly good for someone who's just getting into politics. Safe to say, things are going pretty well for you!"

AKu waved his hand dismissively, "Yes, but it is not by mere chance that I am blessed with such good fortune. For I have carved this path for myself by the seed of my own wit; molded my immeasurable success with pure perseverance and character! And if you ask me, THAT is the kind of person our country needs! The kind of person it DESERVES! A leader with guts who can lead us all to a brighter tomorrow!" The crowd applauded his patriotic declaration, and the host paused to wait for them to finish.

"Well, that was certainly a convincing platform you just tossed right out there. It was almost like you'd been rehearsing it!" he joked, and AKu gave a naughty grin as the audience laughed. "But you know, there's a lot of people out there who wouldn't be swayed by a few eloquent buzzwords. They want to hear a _real_ plan to improve our country, and a man who like you who talks… well, big, is expected to deliver. So, let's hear it!"

AKu raised his eyebrows, "I'm glad you asked, Clark! As many of us know, crime rates have been skyrocketing as of late, with no signs of subsiding any time soon. Now, some candidates will tell you that the problem lies in things like 'education' and 'infrastructure'—you know, the go-to answers. But those of us who really see the big picture know that things are never so cut-and-dry. People are obviously unsatisfied with the way of things, and all the tragic incidents that have been occurring recently are the people crying out in frustration! These calls cannot be ignored, but even in a nation such as ours that is born of rebellion, nor can they be condoned. Any form of violent insurrection must be dealt with swiftly and sternly, as the people who see it as a solution cannot be reasoned with. They have cast out logic and compromise in favor of bloodshed, and so, their demands must not be met. The needs of our nation as a whole far outweigh those of one disgruntled individual. If that person cannot assume the way of this world, it is appropriate that they be cast out. They should be allowed no place in the America that we know and love, and they will have no place in AKu's America!" he proclaimed, as a good amount of the audience roared again with applause.

Once they stopped, Clark spoke up again; "Now, I'm sure this is a bit of a sore subject for you, but I'd like to bring up the criticisms against your business practices."

AKu rolled his eyes, "Oh boy, here we go!" he joked, as the audience laughed.

"Now, I understand you had a lot of prevalence in the late eighties, but then you kind of dropped off the radar after the Tartakovsky incident, is that true?" the host raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

AKu nodded, suddenly getting very serious. "It was… a difficult time in my life. My leasing company was barely taking off, and the Tartakovsky Hotel in Pennsylvania was my biggest success so far, which didn't really mean much at the time. Then, in 1989, a horrible disaster struck; a small fire had sparked in one of the lounges, but due to a sprinkler malfunction, the fire only got worse. The firemen were dispatched, and they did their best quell the towering inferno, but the hotel was lost, and so were most of the guests and employees… I-I was speechless when I heard the news, I couldn't believe one of MY establishments could've resulted in so much senseless death and destruction. Fortunately, I had already purchased an insurance plan for the Hotel a few months prior to the fire, and I had planned to use the hefty rebate I received to compensate the many families who suffered a tremendous loss from the incident. But before I could proceed with my charity, an old employee of mine, who had himself survived the blaze, accused me of setting the whole thing up, JUST to collect the insurance money! I… I couldn't believe it! I'll admit, I've done some questionable things to make a quick buck in my day, but I would NEVER perpetrate such a heinous act for my own gain! Of course, it seemed the victims of the event were still looking for someone to blame, and so I was convicted. I spent the next eight years alone, in prison; not a single visitor until the day I was released. It was my lawyer, who had come to tell me the news of my early release. I was shocked, here I thought I would spent the rest of my days, left to wither away by an unforgiving world! But once I was liberated, I had a new lease on life! I immediately reconnected with my family, and made it my life's mission to change this world for the better; the best way to do that, I figured, was to get involved in politics. So, I spent the next thirteen years or so, amassing a new fortune with which to claw my way into a position of influence. Economically, I've most certainly succeeded; but it is not enough to be the CEO of some faceless corporation. You have to be the face of the people, to connect with and inspire them! That's who AKu wants to be!" For the third time, the audience roared in applause, some people giving him a standing ovation.

Jack gestured at the screen, "Look at that, they're eating it up! How could they give that fiend a platform?" Ashi stayed close to Jack as he got fired up at AKu, hoping her presence would calm him down, but he barely acknowledged her.

Clark was finally able to get a word in over the audience, "Wait, wait, wait. You said somewhere in that very inspiring speech that you had reconnected with family. A lot of undecided voters would potentially be swayed if they knew you were a family man, care to elaborate on that?

Ashi's eyes widened, "Oh, most certainly! Well, after I was freed from my imprisonment, I soon found out that one of my old flames had given birth while I was away, and I was the Father! I was overcome with joy at the thought of a beautiful child with which I could share my wisdom and prosperity. But what I got was—not one, not two, not three—but SEVEN DAUGHTERS!" he proclaimed out into the audience, which reacted with a few whistles and a collective, "WOOOOOOOH".

"Holy— _seven_ daughters!? Geez, you sure they were all yours?" Clark joked, AKu and the audience laughed. "What can you tell us about them? Let's hear some names!"

AKu beamed, "Well, first there's A-"

The screen flickered off, and Jack broke his fixation on it, seeing the smoking gun in Ashi's hand. "Hey, I was watching that!"

She put down the remote and got up to stretch, yawning exaggeratedly; "Time to go to bed, don't you think? I, for one, don't want to be tired for my first day on the job."

Jack sighed, looking at the blank screen again, "Yes, I suppose."

Ashi stepped in front of Jack, standing over him with her hands on her hips; "Stop worrying about that crook, you'll give yourself an ulcer! Come to bed, Samurai."

Jack blushed as Ashi grabbed his hands and pulled him up from the couch, "Ashi, please don't call me that…" he whined.

She gave a teasing look, "Why, does it embarrass you, Samurai?"

Jack looked up at her sternly, "Ashi, please! I'm not a Samurai."

Ashi matched his expression, "Well, I think you ARE a Samurai, Samurai!"

Jack stood up over her now, "Ashi."

She looked up smugly, "Samurai."

"Stop!"

"What?"

"Calling me that."

"A what?"

"A Samurai!"

"But it's what you are."

No, it isn't."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Uh-huuuuh!"

"Nuh-uuuuuuuh!"

Something about Jack giving that classically immature response got to her, and she broke out of their exchange into a fit of laughter.

Jack didn't catch on, but her laughing was infectious regardless; he tried to confront her again through his own laughter, "What? What's so funny! Ashi!" His voice cracked as he said her name, making her laugh even harder. Falling back onto the couch, Jack looked down at her and shook his head while laughing himself.

"That's it, off to bed with you!" Without warning, Jack grabbed Ashi by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. She gasped, at this point coughing from laughing so hard.

"Jack… wait, I… I haven't even… brushed my teeth!"

/

It was almost nine thirty now on Monday morning.

Jack and Ashi rode down the street, the motorcycle kicking up autumn leaves as it whizzed past. They were headed to the Oakland Country Club at the edge of the hill section, right where the houses began to get noticeably nicer.

Jack pulled up to the front doors of the club, stopping to let Ashi off. She hopped off then stepped up to Jack, "You're sure you don't want to come in and say hello?"

Jack looked away sheepishly, "Uh, no. I don't think anyone I know is working right now."

Ashi's shoulders slacked a bit, but then she gave Jack a small smile and pecked him on the lips, "Well, break the ice at least once today, okay? I'll call you after work and tell you how it goes. Bye, Jack!"

Jack called after her as she walked into the building, "Have a good day, Ashi!" and watched as Ashi walked past the second set of automatic doors, stopping to let a short man pass by. He gestured to her in thanks, and they shared a brief exchange that Jack couldn't make out as he watched. The man walked out right in front of Jack, who suddenly recognized the man.

"Mr. Rothschild?" Jack blurted, and the man was immediately at attention. "Yes, that is me! Not to be rude but, do I know you?" Jack suddenly regretted his outburst, not wanting to see someone he knew.

But the short older man adjusted his monocle, squinting at Jack, and recognizing the familiar gaze, "My word… Jack, is that you?"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck, "Y-Yes, it is me. Hello, Charlie." But instead of immediate persecution as he anticipated, Jack's old friend greeted him with exuberance.

"Jack! Old Sport! Good heavens, it's been at least a year now!" Mr. Rothschild eagerly embraced the surprised Jack, "How are you, my friend?"

Jack blinked, taken off guard by his old friend's positive reaction, "Uh, I've been… better? But, in a good way! I was bad before, but now I'm better."

Charles Rothschild beamed at him, "That's the spirit, old chum! Say, are you working? You should go in and see if the club staff needs any extra muscle, eh?" He playfully punched Jack's arm, causing him to chuckle.

"I'd like that, but I'm not sure my presence here is… appropriate, anymore," he mused.

But Charlie waved his hand, "Oh, nonsense! Nobody's talked about your arrest in months, it's old news now! As a matter of fact, most people are actually missing your routine assistance!"

Jack's brow rose, "They are?"

Charlie shook his head, "Absolutely, you were extraordinarily helpful everywhere you worked! Word travels fast about that sort of thing, why do you think your nickname caught so quickly? Eh, Samurai?" He winked at Jack, who shook his head at the title. "Well, I must be off, but do inquire about labor if you need work! Just follow that black-haired girl who walked in a minute ago, she said she was in there to work as well! You should introduce yourself, she seems like your type~" Charlie elbowed Jack, whispering in a singsong tone, before walking away. "Cheerio, old sport!" he called to him; after snapping out of his disbelief at this unexpected encounter, Jack shouted back a thank you and a goodbye.

Filled with a newfound confidence, he parked his motorcycle and ran inside to ask for work, hoping for the best. The best in this case, working alongside Ashi for the day.

/

It had been a week since Jack discovered his blacklisting was no longer in effect, and he and Ashi had been working with many of Jack's old employers. That first day at the Country club, Ashi helped plant flowers along one of the concourses, while Jack mowed the golf course. They worked there for a couple days, then moved onto the next thing.

On Thursday, they worked for the local baseball team, The Woolies; they helped manage the field until the big game on Tuesday, during which Ashi worked the snack bar while Jack walked through the stands, selling different refreshments.

The end of that week, they moved to work at an archery range run by a band of brothers that deeply respected Jack, and were happy to have him back. They worked Wednesday through Friday, but there wasn't nearly as much to be done on that last day. As a reward for their hard work, the archer brothers allowed Jack and Ashi free access to the equipment and facilities for the remainder of the day. And so, they spent the last couple hours of their shift competing with each other, both of them effortlessly nailing the targets with rental bows.

Each new place they went to work, Ashi spoke with someone who had nothing but good things to say about Jack. Every establishment had a story about how Jack got them out of a jam, or helped their business thrive, or simply lent a helping hand. With each installment, Ashi's admiration of her boyfriend grew.

Things went on this way for the remainder of the month, and the couple was making good money. It was now the last week of October, and their latest gig was at a daycare in the Old North End. Ashi was the one to suggest it, but Jack was uncertain about the undertaking.

The daycare was on a rather uninviting block of buildings, most of them in disarray, run down, or abandoned outright. The most eye-catching happened to be an old unused radio station with a huge steel tower on top; it was right next to the daycare, looming over it. As the motorcycle pulled up to the daycare, Jack and Ashi observed the colorful patterns and pictures decorating the outside of the building. "Fuzzy Village" seemed to be themed around a race of furry blue humanoids, as the window of the daycare had illustrations of joyful "Fuzzies", both young and old, all over it.

Jack looked at the building hesitantly as Ashi dismounted the vehicle, "Uh, do you have any experience with children?"

Ashi turned to him and shrugged in response; "No, but I have experience _being_ children… I mean, a child. Which you do, too!"

Ashi yanked Jack's hand as soon as he got off the bike, and lead them both across the street to the daycare. "Come on, Jack! How hard could it be?"

/

"Ashi! HELP ME!"

Jack screamed from underneath the pile of children, reaching upwards in distress. A few of the kids were clamoring to pull his beard, and they all had a different direction in mind. Having one child standing on him was bad enough, but Jack had about four of them tap-dancing on his stomach.

The shift began at nine in the morning, and it was now one in the afternoon. Not once in that four-hour period did the sixteen children that Jack and Ashi were put in charge of calm down; they were in a constant frenzy, only coming to a lull occasionally.

They thought that expending all of the children's energy would get them to finally crash. The suggestion for "playfighting" for an activity for the kids had proven to be a bad one, and the Styrofoam sword did not serve Jack well in combat. Their numbers were too vast, he was immediately overwhelmed. The children kept a tight dogpile over him, that quickly reassembled each time he moved the children away; Jack got an uncomfortable flashback to that movie he and Ashi saw.

As for her, Ashi was sitting up against the wall; her legs where sprawled out in front of her, and her arms were at her side in defeat. These children were unstoppable, no amount of activity could quell them. Ashi watched helplessly as Jack was mauled by the rabid five-year-old boys and girls.

The worst part was that throughout the whole day, she had this awful ringing in her ear. It started as they got to the daycare, and it kept fluctuating throughout the day. It was so pitchy, but just low enough that she couldn't pin it down. Along with the kindergarten madness going on in front of her, it was driving her insane.

But Ashi could no longer ignore Jack's cry for help. Slapping herself with both hands and shaking her head, she stood up and looked upon the messy pile of children. Some of Jack was peeking through, and she wondered how she might get him out.

Before she could devise an approach, Ashi noticed that all but one child was dogpiling on Jack at the moment, and that child was sitting on one of the chairs in the corner of the room with his head down. By this time, most of the kids who had been tackling Jack were dispersing, off to do their own thing. So, she chose to help the boy that looked distressed; walking over to him and kneeling to his level, she spoke in a soft tone, "Uh… is everything okay, sweetie?"

The boy looked up with a sad expression, "Noooo! My ears huurt, I don't like that nooise!"

Noise? Was he talking about the ringing? Ashi thought maybe his younger ears were better at picking up the pitch. "You hear that? How clearly do you hear it? Do you think you could show me where it's coming from?"

"Yes…but… I don't waannaa," the boy started to well up.

Ashi looked at the boy sympathetically, "Why don't you want to tell? I'm a grown-up, you can trust me. Are you… afraid of something?" The boy paused, looking away from her, then slowly nodded. Ashi thought for a moment, "Sweetie, what is your name?"

He looked up at her and squeaked, "Nathan."

Ashi smiled, extending her hand for the boy to shake; "Nice to meet you, Nathan! Now, I'd love to stop the noise for you, but you need to tell me what you know, or else I can't help you. I promise that whatever is scaring you, I'll take care of it!" She placed a reassuring hand on Nathan's shoulder.

Nathan sniffled, still looking down, "… Okay, I'll show you. This way." He started walking, but stopped for a moment to pick up one of the Styrofoam swords lying around. Ashi took one last look at Jack, who was finally sitting up, and then followed the boy through a corridor at the back of the building. He finally stopped in front of an innocuous door, but his cowering behind Ashi told her that this was the place.

"Nathan, can you tell me what's behind this door?" Ashi asked, kneeling beside Nathan.

The boy rubbed his arm and muttered, "The basement… that's where the monster lives."

Ashi raised an eyebrow, "A monster, you say?"

Nathan retreated even more at the mere mention of it, "Everyone always tells me there's nothing down there, but what else could make such a awful noise!? Sometimes, I can even hear it roar!" he cried.

Probably not a monster, Ashi thought, but it could definitely be the furnace or something making that noise. Either way, it was time to investigate.

She knelt next to the boy again, "Nathan? You should go back and join the others. I'm going to go down and deal with this 'monster', okay?" The boy looked shocked at her bold claim, and held out the foam weapon for her to take, but she declined. "You keep it, better to stay armed yourself! I'll be okay, just leave everything to me," she beamed at the boy, and he started to lighten up.

Finally, Ashi turned to the basement door, carefully turning the knob and pulling it towards her. A gust of air blew past her from down the stairs, and she stared down the flight into the darkness below. Her courage wavered for a split second, but she recovered and began the descent, Nathan watching carefully from the top step. Ashi had told him to go back, but he was determined to hold the line while she was gone.

She got to the bottom of the stairs, and surveyed the area. It was quite dark and damp down there, and the basement seemed to be used mainly for storage purposes. There was a separate room that had the furnace and radiator, but aside from a few clanking sounds, they were not the source of the ringing sound they had been hearing. Ashi looked around a little more, eventually noticing a door frame behind a folded-up table. Moving it aside, she found a strange door that didn't match the rest of them; it was metal and sealed tightly, but not locked. Very slowly, she turned the handle and dragged open the door, the hinges being somewhat rusty.

What Ashi found was a long corridor, at the end of which was a set of push door, with a faint light coming through the glass windows. Hesitant, she quietly stepped down the hallway, finally reaching the push doors. When she pushed through them, she was in another storage room not unlike the one she just left. The faint light was coming from an old light bulb hanging from the ceiling, but there was a brighter one coming from upstairs. Hesitantly, Ashi made her way up the staircase, trying to be as quiet as possible on the old steps.

Meanwhile, Jack was recovering from his arduous battle while the rest of the children played rambunctiously around him. He needed something productive for the children to use their energy on, but they wouldn't stop enough for him to do anything. Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, Jack was suddenly hit with of a plastic peach someone had chucked at his head. He picked up the false fruit and examined it, before he was struck again, this time by an idea.

Standing up, Jack took a deep breath and shouted, "CHILDREEN!"

All of them froze immediately, now staring at him from every angle. Looks like he had their attention. Jack cleared his throat, "Who would like to hear a story?" Every hand went up. "Good, now have a seat," he gestured in front of him, and all of the children hurried over to the stop and sat crossed legged, ready to be entertained.

Jack took a seat on the floor himself, "This is the tale of Momotaro…"

While Jack entertained the children's attention, Ashi continued to investigate the strange building. She soon realized that she was inside the old radio station right next to the daycare, but found that it was far from abandoned. From the outside, the building looked to be about the same size as the daycare, but the inside was surprisingly spacious. All of the equipment looked like new, and there were flashing lights and sound everywhere; much of it seemed like it was used for more than just broadcasting. The ringing had also gotten louder since she crossed over, so she knew she was in the right place.

Ashi ended up in a large, open room with heavy machinery lining the walls. Walking out from beneath a steel walkway, she saw a collection of monitors in front of a keyboard and chair at the opposite end of the room, but no one was at the helm. Glancing at one of the screens, Ashi could very clearly see Jack speaking to the group of children, who were surprisingly at attention. Another monitor showed Nathan standing at end of the hall, listening intently to whatever Jack is saying, but trying his best not to leave the post. There was screen showing the basement, and another for the corridor she followed; Ashi then realized that she wasn't actually alone.

All of a sudden, the machinery started to buzz and stir; robotic arms started moving towards her, but she aptly avoided their grabbing. More were now activating as well, and she now had at least six metal pincers trying to catch her. After a few minutes of dodging, one of the clamps grabbed her firmly around the waist; she struggled in vain as the metal arm lifted her off the ground, holding her up in front of a large man standing up on the walkway. He was moving levers on a handheld controller, directing the machinery. He had shaggy orange hair and a moustache, and was also a rather portly fellow. He reminded Ashi of Scotsman, only with fat instead of muscle.

"Well, look what we have here. A nosy little babysitter that should've minded her own business. And a pretty one, at that." The man went to touch her face, but she slapped his hand away, and he smiled giddily. He directed the metal arm to face the collection of monitors, still suspending Ashi high above the ground. "Feisty, I like it! Why don't you hang around, sweetheart?" The man laughed way too hard at his own joke as he walked down the grated stairs and back to his station of monitors, putting on a microphone headset.

He turned a knob on the panel, and suddenly the ringing intensified; being this close to the source made it almost painful to Ashi, as she continued to struggle in the grip of the machinery. The man noticed her discomfort, "Sorry, princess. But that sound is the key to this whole operation, take a look." He gestured to the monitor, and Ashi watched as the children next door became noticeably more restless than a moment ago. "This frequency was developed specifically to cause agitation and aggression in children. They're basically guinea pigs for future forms of auditory experimentation; a lot of important people are paying through the nose to get their hands on this technology." Ashi, unfortunately, had a pretty good idea what "important people" he was referring to. "While I'm not really a fan of experimenting on children, this gig's simply too good pass up. They're not getting hurt, but they sure are easy to manipulate!"

The man then turned to the only inactive monitor, which was revealed to be reserved for an online game he played as the experiment continued. He logged in, and greeted his virtual teammates; "Hey, I'm back. Sorry, some girl was snooping around, but now I've got her out of the way… yeah, she's pretty hot. Got kind of a weird profile though, she looks like a monkey from the side," he said with disregard to how easily she could hear him. She got a bit self-conscious at the insensitive comment, worriedly touching the side of her face.

"Alright, someone needs to play tank; I can do it if no one else will… No, we don't need that many DPS, pick a healer. Yeah, that works."

On one of the surveillance monitors, Ashi saw Nathan react to the increased intensity of the ringing, and run off camera. Helpless, she could only dangle from the grip of the machine as the man, who apparently went under the screen name, "xXx_d0min8or_xXx", got frustrated and yelled profane insults at his online teammates.

Meanwhile, Jack was completely dumbfounded. His story had calmed the children somewhat, but they soon were up and running at full speed once again, like they were collectively hit with a surge of energy. Still caught up in Jack's tale, they were playfighting with each other over who gets to be Momotaro, and who has to be the evil ogre. Jack was at a loss for what to do, but at least he wasn't being assaulted anymore.

Just then, Nathan went running up to him, tugging on his pant leg frantically. Jack noticed the distressed boy, and knelt down to assist him; "Hello there, little one! Is something the matter?"

He nodded rapidly, "T-The monster! It got the lady! She went down to the basement to fight it, but she never came back! Now it's even angrier!"

A few of the other children overheard what Nathan said, and were now clamoring to know about the supposed monster.

"I wanna see it!"

"Is it ginormous?"

"Does it have an ugly ogre face?"

"What if it ate the onion lady?"

"Onion lady" must have been a reference to Ashi, whom Jack had just realized was most certainly absent. According to the boy, she had gone to confront this "monster", but failed to return; while he highly doubted that a monster was at large, Ashi was missing, and that was definitely a problem. Upon request, Nathan led Jack to the basement door where he last saw Ashi, citing that she told him she would handle it.

The rest of the children were clamoring about the monster as Jack deliberated what to do. He couldn't just leave the kids unsupervised, but bringing them down with him might be dangerous, especially considering what might have happened to Ashi. Fortunately, a television set on a wheeled stand caught his eye. He rolled it out to the main area of the daycare, popping in a random kid's movie to hold their attention.

"Okay, children! The, uh… 'onion' lady seems to have her hands full with that pesky monster, so I'm going down there to help her out. But we can't just leave this place unguarded; it's up to all of you to keep away anymore monsters that may try to infiltrate our base. Are you up to the task?" Jack asked, trying to sound as motivational as possible. But the children were enticed by the offer to fight monsters, and they shouted their acceptance of the mission Jack bestowed upon them. Raising their foam weapons, they vowed to keep out any more monsters that might appear.

With the children secured for the most part, Jack hurried down the stairs, now quite worried about his girlfriend's well-being. After he was gone, the children immediately lost focus on their goal, but were still fired up at the thought of fighting monsters.

"I hope that ugly ogre shows up, I wanna give him a taste of this!" one of the kids exclaimed, swinging his sword around confidently.

Another spoke up, "But what if it DID eat that lady? It sounds strong, how would we beat it?"

"Well that's easy! We attack him all at once, that monster doesn't stand a chance! 'Member we beat that grown-up that way?"

"But aren't ogres stronger than grown-ups?"

"Yeah, and what if it's a grown-up ogre? That must be like a baziilion stronger than a regular ogre!"

"But what would Momotaro do!?" Nathan shouted.

Everyone stopped, in awe at the concept of how the fairy tale hero would act in this situation.

"Remember how many ogres he fought? A _lot_. _And_ he only had a-aminals helpin' him!" Nathan reminded them.

"Yeah!" the rest of them shouted in unison.

Nathan held up his foam sword, "The grown-ups need our help! If we work together, we can beat the ogre; we're like a hundred Momotaros!"

The children had funneled their boundless energy into a righteous frenzy, forming an armed pack with Nathan as the leader.

Pointing his sword towards the monster's domain, Nathantaro proclaimed, "What are we waiting for? Let's GOOOO!"

He and the pack of Momotaro's charged ahead, screaming, towards the back area of the daycare center. They maintained their momentum until the basement door was dead ahead, and the entire group came to a complete halt.

Nathan stared at the basement door for a full minute, and none of the other children were feeling brave enough to step forward. But he had not forgotten the motivation that set him off in the first place. With hesitation, he stepped on his tippy toes to grab the door handle, and pulled open the door slowly. The other children peeked at the dark bottom of the stairs, then promptly stepped aside for Nathan to go first once again.

Mustering his courage, he held onto the rail for dear life as he stepped down the spooky staircase. One by one, the rest of the children followed suit. Once they were all gathered downstairs, they eventually discovered the strange door; it was heavy for them, but a little teamwork got it open.

The children were now so caught up in the thrill of discovering this secret door below their very own daycare, they had forgotten their fear almost entirely. Bravely, Nathan led them as the kids marched to the other side of the corridor, picking up speed as they approached the push doors.

With vim and vigor, the small army burst through the barrier, prepared to take on the vicious ogre.

/

This was a tricky situation.

Ashi was being dangled dangerously high up off the ground by a robotic vice grip, and an out-of-shape man sat perched at his computer, most likely in control of Ashi's restraint. Jack saw two options: either he tries to take the man by surprise and steal control of the machines, or he climb up to reach Ashi and attempt to release her manually. The man at the controls was distracted by whatever game he was playing, and Jack was free to pick either option, but he felt safer trying to reach Ashi.

Jack walked up the steel staircase to the overhang, and made his way over to the side of the room where the arm held Ashi; he was about to leap across the deactivated arms leading up to her, when he started hearing small voices murmuring from the way he came. He saw through the grate he was standing on, the little figures passing underneath him. He looked over the railing to see all sixteen kids pour out onto the chamber floor.

"Children!?" he called, catching Ashi's attention.

"Jack!?"

Jack looked up at her, "Ashi!"

Ashi noticed the group of children, "Nathan!?"

"I'm Nathan!" Nathan shouted excitedly.

One of the other kids piped up, "Onion lady!"

"Onion lady?" Ashi said, bewildered.

"What the…?" the man at the computer turned to see the commotion, making eye contact with the "armed" mob of children.

One look, and they came to their conclusion, "It's the ogre! ATTAAACK!" Nathan and the rest of the children charged the man, who scrambled to grab the controller for the metal arms. But it was too late; the children dogpiled right on him; his chair had toppled over, and the kids were now pulling his hair and repeatedly whacking him with their foam swords.

Jack came down from the walkway and went over to the onslaught, unsure if he should intervene. Then the arm controller flew out of the man's hands. It smashed against the hard ground, breaking into multiple pieces, causing the arm holding Ashi to drop her. Jack quickly reacted, catching her bridal-style.

Meanwhile, xXx_d0min8r_xXx cried out as he continued to be wailed on by the horde of wild children; the game he was invested in had just ended, and a female voice spoke plainly as the word flashed on screen, "DEFEAT".

Later on, authorities were called to come put an end to the gamer's operation. It was revealed that the man was a prolific cybercriminal who had been on the run for years, and the experiment he was hired to run was perfect for laying low. Who would suspect an abandoned radio station next to a daycare? The old steel tower was barely functional, having just enough power to get the audio signal next door; while mostly a disadvantage, it did make the signal more discrete. Apparently, the two buildings had once been used together, but now they were only connected by the secret basement corridor.

Jack and Ashi said goodbye to their young charges, and Ashi hugged Nathan as a thank you for his bravery. Afterwards, they were approached by Scotsman, "Now, remind me again why the two of ye don' wanna be on the force? If I didn' know any better, I'd say ye were tryin' to run us cops out of business!" The couple smiled sheepishly.

Once they got their pay for the day's work, they started back towards Jack's motorcycle. But before they got to it, Ashi stopped in her track's and Jack turned back to check on her. "Ashi?"

She looked at the ground with a furrowed brow, then up at Jack with a serious expression; "Jack… do I have a monkey face?" she asked anxiously, turning her head to the side.

Jack looked at her curiously, "Wha-? What kind of question is that?"

"Does my face look weird from the side?" she asked.

"No, of course not! I mean, I rarely see you from the side, but…" Jack's innocent supposition only made Ashi more embarrassed.

"So, you _do_ think it looks weird!?"

Jack held up his hands defensively. "Ashi, there's nothing wrong with your profile; you look lovely from any angle," Jack smiled affectionately at her, and she lightened up a bit. He got right up to her, holding the sides of her face, "But I must say, I do have a preference for looking at you straight on…"

She broke away and bawled "Why, so you don't have to see my chimp face!?"

"N-No, that's not… because… your eyes…"

"And I bet my onion hair makes people cry, too!"

"Ashi, stop that…"

"UGHH!"

/

The next day was Friday, and the couple decided to take the day off after three weeks of continuously working. After brunch at Brewshido, they drove to the commercial area to visit their respective banks and deposit the money they had earned that week.

But as she approached her usual bank, Ashi found herself reconsidering; this was the account her Father had direct access to, the one he was always funneling money into, sapping her independence. She didn't want to lump in her hard-earned money with his "charity".

So, Ashi turned around and went with Jack into his bank. He already had an account, so his deposit was quick and easy. But Ashi had to sign up, and while she told Jack not to wait for the process, he insisted on keeping her company. In the end, she was surprised that creating a new bank account only took about thirty minutes.

With a couple more signatures, the teller gathered up the papers and announced that the process was finished. "All right, looks like you're all set! Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"

Ashi pulled out a small stack of cash, "Yes, please! I would like to make a deposit…"

—END CHAPTER 10—

/


	12. Jack, Ashi, and the Rave

—CHAPTER 11—

Ashi crinkled her nose as Jack admired himself in the mirror.

The couple had decided to spend their Saturday at the mall, having just amassed a decent amount of money after weeks of working. There was a grocery store in the same shopping center which they initially came for, but were enticed by an annual sale at the department store in the mall. Tomorrow was their one-month anniversary, and they agreed to pick out their own gifts and present them to each other over dinner that night. First, they shopped for Jack, planning to get him a winter coat to replace his old ratty one.

But after seeing the coat Jack picked out for himself, Ashi was starting to regret the decision. Out of the entire collection of stylish coats, he ended up grabbing a hooded thermal that was an obnoxiously vibrant shade of green. The inside lining was a thick blue fur that was especially prominent from the back when the hood was down. Granted, the coat hugged Jack's upper body flatteringly, but the colors were just so gaudy that Ashi wanted to gag.

"I like the back fur…" Jack stated as he glanced at the blue fur behind him. He turned to Ashi, eyes aglow; "What do you think?" he asked confidently, holding his arms out in exhibition. She bit her lip as he held her chin in contemplation, trying to spare Jack's feelings.

But Jack deserved honesty, Ashi thought, so she made her feelings clear. "It looks hideous," she said flatly, wearing a strained expression.

His smile fell, as he turned to take another look at himself in the mirror. "You really think so?" he actually thought he looked quite dashing in the coat, perhaps it was the color she didn't like.

Jack shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I love this coat. Such a warm material, too!" he gushed as he held himself in comfort. "And well, it _is_ my gift…" he smiled sheepishly at Ashi as she squinted, once again chewing on her bottom lip.

Finally, she relented, purchasing the hideous coat; Jack and Ashi left the department store with the anniversary gift, complimentarily wrapped by the store associates. After that, they hit the food court, having skipped breakfast on account of their dire need for groceries. Once they had eaten, it was time to buy Ashi's gift at the jewelry store, then amend the grocery situation.

But a large crowd caught their attention, people were huddling over in front of a music store. They seemed to be clamoring for the attention of someone within the store, but all they could see from across the sea was the parting that was making its way through the crowd out of the store. The crowd of people finally opened up, moved aside by two men in distinctive clothing; out walked a young woman with purple hair that was gathered up into two buns on top of her head, like mouse ears. She wore a red dress over a purple baggy shirt, with red-striped stockings and boots.

It was DJ O-Liv, a prominent rave DJ who had gotten her start right here in Burlington. She was actually one of the teens involved in the rave incident a few years back; the one Jack and infiltrated and broke up. The then famous, DJ Stylbator, was arrested when the subliminal messages being fed through his beats were discovered. Those messages were what caused the ravers to run away from home, and erupt in chaos every night, rioting in the streets.

Jack spoke up, "Hey, it's Olivia!" prompting the burgeoning music icon to turn in their direction, surprised to hear her actual name in public.

The DJ met Jack's eyes, and was able to identify him by his distinctive gaze. "Holy shit! Jack, is that you? Dude, you need a haircut!" she laughed, running up to hug him.

"Hello, Olivia! I see you're doing quite well for yourself," Jack mused, gesturing to the crowd nipping at her heels.

Olivia put her hands on her hips proudly, "Oh, you know it! The music industry has been pretty good to me after you cleaned up the rave scene. DJ Stylbator had a monopoly on EDM, his were the only events that got any publicity; but after he got arrested, a bunch of new artists flooded the market, including yours truly. Nowadays, I'm basically a staple of the genre!"

"Wow, that's great to hear!" said Jack, happily.

Olivia then noticed Ashi, and her curiosity was piqued; "Jack, aren't you going to introduce me to your _friend_?" she shot him a teasing side glance.

Jack blushed, clearing his throat, "O-Oh, of course! Olivia, this is my girlfriend, Ashi. Ashi, this is Olivia."

"It's nice to meet you!" beamed Ashi, and Olivia took her hand in greeting.

"Please, pleasure's all mine! You must really be something, if the famous Samurai chose you as his bae!" Neither Jack nor Ashi knew what "bae" meant, but assumed it meant something positive.

But before they could inquire, people in the crowd were heard muttering about the legendary Samurai; it seemed that Olivia wasn't the only celebrity there.

"Did she say Samurai?"

"I thought he was an urban legend?"

"Wait, is he that bearded guy? He doesn't look like a Samurai…"

"His girlfriend's pretty hot."

"Wasn't he in jail or something?"

Olivia rolled her eyes at the gossip, "Ugh, ignore the peanut gallery… Anyways, I've been in town for the last couple days now, but I'm leaving tomorrow; it sucks that I just ran into you guys now. But hey! The main reason I'm here is cause I'm DJing a gig tonight at a warehouse in the freight district. Do you know where that is?"

Thinking back to their confrontation with the Flannels, Jack answered confidently, "Yes, we're familiar with that area."

"Great! You guys should come to the rave, it's going to be sooo lit! And the Samurai making a guest appearance would definitely add to it!" Olivia raved, and the crowd cheered at the idea of partying with the Samurai.

Jack rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed by the attention, "I, uh… thank you for the invite, but I am not certain raves really my type of gathering…" he trailed off.

Olivia nodded; "Yeah, I figured as much. I know raves aren't your thing, you're a pretty lowkey guy. I just figured I'd extend the invitation anyway, and the two of you are free to come by if you change your minds!" she offered cheerily as she took out her phone.

The late hour caused Olivia to express her surprise, "Wooah, it's 10:30! I gotta bounce, lot to do before the show tonight; it's at ten by the way! Think about it, it'd be really cool if you two came! Alright, see ya!" She waved happily as she, her entourage, and her adoring fans continued the trek through the mall.

Waving goodbye, Jack and Ashi headed over to the jewelry store. As they walked, Ashi turned to Jack; "So, why don't you want to go to this 'rave' tonight?" she inquired, slightly suspicious that it had something to do with Olivia.

"It's like I said earlier, I don't really like them. Maybe I didn't put it in those terms, but that's how I feel; raves just aren't for me," Jack explained with a quick shrug, immediately ridding her of suspicion. "I had only experienced it that once because I was working undercover; children were reported missing after going to these, so I intended to shut the operation down from the inside. What I found was that the DJ was using subliminal messages in his music, and they were causing the adolescents to become rebellious and destructive."

Ashi thought the story Jack was telling her sounded awfully familiar, "Huh, that reminds me of what happened on Thursday. How ironic is that?" she joked, but Jack wasn't laughing.

"No, what is ironic is that the one behind the first auditory experiment was found to have ties to AKu, and I have a feeling the more recent offender was no different", he sneered at the mention of the evil-doers.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me…" sighed Ashi, once again hearing of her Father's misdeeds. "I know, it is frustrating to know that that fiend is still up to his old tricks. But unfortunately, there is not much we can do aside from fixing the problems that he creates," Jack lamented.

Sensing a depression coming on, Ashi quickly shifted back to the previous subject, "Enough about that, tell me what a rave is like!" She grabbed Jack's hand, looking up at him like a child waiting for a bedtime story.

Her endearing expression prompted Jack to smile warmly, "Well, it takes place in a large, open area packed with people in all sorts of strange clothing. There's a DJ up on stage with huge speakers, blasting music meant to be danced to, while colorful strobe lights flash all over the stage and dance floor. They go on late into the night, and everyone dances the entire time. It's nothing special, really…"

Jack looked down to see Ashi wearing only a stupefied expression, her eyes practically gleaming. "Does that sound exciting to you?" he asked, surprised at the reaction he got. They finally got to the jewelry store, and Ashi already knew what she wanted; she picked out a shimmering ladybug charm bracelet, citing her adoration for the creatures.

"Well, yeah! I've been to a decent amount of parties in college, and I really enjoyed dancing at them. What you're describing just sounds like one big party! I mean, it's not like we have anything else going on tonight. Besides, we should go to support your friend's performance, you said the DJ is up on stage, right?" Ashi reminded Jack, making her case the best she could as they walked to the cashier to purchase her gift.

But Jack made a strained expression as he they moved down the line obviously he still wasn't on board. Ashi thought for a moment, then grinned as she realized the advantage she had; "Tell you what: We'll go to the rave tonight as my anniversary gift, you can just put this bracelet back," she suggested as she held the charm bracelet out to him.

Jack looked at her, confused; "B-But, I thought this was what you wanted! _I_ bought a physical item for my gift, don't you think it makes more sense for you to do the same?"

"That's right, you did buy a physical item; a hopelessly tacky coat that I bought at your behest, even though I didn't like it. Don't you think it makes even _more_ sense for you to do the same?" Ashi argued, and Jack felt he like was backed into a corner. She gestured to the bracelet in Jack's hand, "Besides, this thing will probably still be here another day if we don't buy it, but the rave is tonight only. We'd be silly to pass up a one-time opportunity like this, if you ask me…"

Jack sighed as they got up to the register, "Fine, fine! We'll go to the rave tonight; you're right, it's only one night."

Ashi smiled at his compromise as he greeted the cashier as he handed her the bracelet to scan, but then wondered why he was still buying the gift. "Wait, what are you doing? You don't have to buy that if we're going tonight," she asked.

"I'd feel better getting you an actual gift, the rave doesn't count," Jack explained nonchalantly, to which Ashi reached up to peck him on the cheek; a red hue graced his face, as the cashier expressed appreciation for the couple's affectionate behavior.

After they left the jewelry store, it was time to shop for groceries. They left the mall and crossed the parking lot to the supermarket, taking a cart with them as they passed through the entrance. Even with a sizeable list, the two of them kept a steady pace through the aisles, completing their shopping in record time.

Once they had everything they came for, they headed back to Jack's place, barely managing to fit all of their purchases on his motorcycle.

When they got back to the apartment, they climbed the stairs to the second floor, only to find Mr. Owen standing at the door of Jack's apartment. "Who's that?" Ashi asked.

Jack groaned in response, "My landlord."

The hulking man turned to them as they approached the apartment and spoke in his gruff voice, "You're late."

Mr. Owen stepped aside to let Jack open the door, which he did while explaining his tardiness, "Yes, I know; we went out early to buy groceries. Hang on, I have the rent money." He walked in the apartment and put down the bags of groceries, moving to dig into his kitchen drawer for the rent box. At the same time, Ashi cast a glance at the bulky landlord, who seemed to be sizing her up as well.

Ashi and Mr. Owen were standing on opposite sides of the doorway. The landlord was looking down the hallway as he spoke, "You are a… friend of Jack's, I presume?"

"His _girlfriend_ , yes," Ashi responded matter-of-factly.

Mr. Owen's brow raised slightly, in a glimmer of surprise. "Hmm… and what do you see in this man?" he spoke in an almost playful tone. Ashi sneered at him, feeling like she was being goaded. "As I understand, he's had quite the fall from grace. Almost everyone he knows has abandoned him; he's a shell of the man he was when he first moved in. It is sad to see a noble man like him become such a failure," the landlord spoke as if in mourning, but Ashi interrupted his solemnity.

"Hey, Jack is not a failure!" she spat in a harsh whisper, not wanting Jack to overhear their talk of him. "He's still the noble man you once knew, he's just… lost his way, that's all. But I'm helping him figure things out, and he's already back working his old jobs, just like he used to. Maybe you should have a little faith in him," she crossed her arms in defiance of his statement.

Mr. Owen nodded in understanding, "I see, so you've inspired him, have you? Well, Jack will default sooner or later. I've seen it a million times; as good as your relationship might be now, it will eventually collapse. One of you might be to blame, or both. But either way, it won't last, and Jack will be right back where he started. It is only a matter of time…"

They stared each other down as Jack finally came over, reaching into the tin in his hand. "Sorry for the delay, here you go," he apologized, handing over the stack of bills.

Quickly counting the money, the landlord stuck it in his back pocket, "Well, you've managed to stave off eviction for another month, Jack."

Mr. Owen started down the hall, but not before turning back to Ashi. "Enjoy it while you can. Hope is just a fleeting sentiment, but failure is all too real…" he bluntly stated as he walked away, and she slammed the door in response.

"A ray of sunshine, is he not?" Jack smirked at Ashi, much less surprised by his landlord's bleak attitude.

She clenched her fists in aggravation, "God, what a prick! Where does a lousy landlord get off talking about someone like that? How much does he even charge you?"

Jack crossed back into the kitchen to put the rent box back as he answered, "Around sixteen hundred now," causing Ashi to quietly gasp.

"Seriously!? That's a lot for this area! How can he get away with charging you that? Why do _you_ put up with it?" she followed him into the kitchen on the opposite side, by now Jack had moved to sit at his kitchen table.

He folded his arms and shrugged nonchalantly, "What else can I do? I could find a cheaper place, but the rent would hike up over time, just like it did here. I'd rather stay settled in one place than keep moving around the city." Ashi made a downcast look grabbed a handful of leftover Halloween candy on the counter.

She leaned against the table to Jack's right, and he moved his chair to face her. "Well, we made enough for you to keep up payments for a while, but what if _I_ helped you pay? I have what we earned, and the excess allowance my Father gives me each month," Ashi suggested, unwrapping a fruit chew and popping it in her mouth.

Jack shook his head, "I appreciate the offer, Ashi, but no. I don't want you sacrificing part of your paycheck when you have your own bills to deal with."

"That's just it, I _don't_ have my own bills to deal with," she responded, mid-chew. "My Dad covers all those expenses, but I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself; it actually really bothers me that he does that…" Ashi paused to swallow the candy she was eating, looking wistful. "But I've basically been living here the past few weeks anyway, I might as well be paying rent. Also, if it weren't for _me_ , you wouldn't even _have_ your old jobs back! I've already helped you!" she stated triumphantly.

Jack scratched his chin, looking to the ceiling for a rebuttal. "True. But if it weren't for _you_ , I would never have _lost_ my last job in the first place," he retorted, sitting there smugly. But Ashi lobbed one of the fruit chews at him, causing him to open up his eyes again.

"Shut up! You know you hated that place. Also, they would've probably gotten busted eventually," she remarked.

"I suppose," sighed Jack, picking up the piece of candy in his lap. He unwrapped and ate the pink square, sharing a quiet moment with Ashi as they both enjoyed the leftover treats.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Jack spoke up again. "Alright, you can help pay my rent…" Ashi smiled, "…on one condition," and then frowned, "You have to _officially_ move in with me," and then turned red.

Move in with Jack? Ashi hadn't even considered the notion before now. It dredged up those concerns about Jack and her Father's conflict, which she _had_ considered before now; far too often, in her opinion. But if she wanted to progress this relationship, Ashi was going to have to deal with this problem.

As she stood there, practically frozen in contemplation, Jack chimed in again, "I uh, don't know if you'd prefer if _I_ move into _your_ place, but I felt it rude to impose like that…" his words snapped her out of it.

"Yeah, no, my Dad would be… weird about that," she said sheepishly, looking away from Jack. She turned back to him and finally answered the initial question, "Can I get back to you on this?"

"Oh, of course! This is not a pressing issue; please, take your time to think it over," he smiled warmly at her, his arms no longer crossed and his hands resting on his legs. That made her feel a lot better about her indecision, and after remembering the pieces of candy still in her palm, holding one up to offer it to him.

Jack reached out a hand to take it, but instead of giving it to him, Ashi unwrapped it herself and held it up again, this time in preparation for another lob. Catching on to the challenge, Jack steadied himself in the chair, and waited for the toss. She lobbed it in a big arc over to him, and he caught it by leaning back on the chair just a bit.

The couple cheered and high-fived, and Ashi got ready to throw another; Jack held up a finger while chewing, "Hold on a moment, its chewy."

She ate another herself in the few moments it took Jack to finally swallow it, "Ready?" she said through the candy.

"Go," Jack was barely seated anymore, ready to move if necessary for the catch.

/

It was ten minutes to ten, and the couple had just arrived at the warehouse district by the shipyard.

Ashi was initially concerned that they would be unable to locate the building where the rave was being held, but Jack told her it wouldn't be hard to pinpoint. Sure enough, they could hear the booming music from outside as they got close enough, and eventually saw the line of people waiting to be let in. It ended at the front door of the building, where a large, dark-skinned man stood guard; he was bald and wore an all-black getup with small, round, and red-lensed spectacles.

They followed the velvet rope all the way to the back of the line, eliciting stares and murmurs from people waiting as the Samurai and his girlfriend passed. Jack was once again shrinking somewhat at the attention, so Ashi grabbed his hand in reassurance as they walked.

Once they got to the end of the line, she spoke up; "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said everyone dressed weird at these things," she said, looking ahead at the people in line. All of them were wearing something either extremely vibrant, revealing, or both. Some of them wore random animal masks, while others seemed to be going for themes like "cowboy" or "astronaut". Ashi elbowed Jack, "You should've worn that jacket we bought today, you would fit right in!" she joked. Jack rolled his eyes, giving a sarcastic laugh.

Meanwhile, the two of them were modestly dressed by comparison. Jack wore an orange vest over a white V-neck tee, with a tiny midriff between the shirt and his baggy jeans and sneakers. Ashi's midriff was much more noticeable between her red tee and black leggings with boots, and she also wore a black vest that remained unzipped.

It was finally nine o'clock, and the line began slowly feeding into the building. Jack and Ashi only waited around twenty minutes until they got to the door, and the bouncer now towered in front of them.

"Tickets?" he held out his hand, prompting Jack and Ashi looked at each other in confusion.

Jack stepped forward, "Uh, I'm afraid we don't have tickets…" and the large man crossed his arms.

"Well then, you ain't gettin' in; step outta line, please. Next!" he shouted to the rest of the line. Another person stepped forward and handed over their ticket, and the bouncer let him through.

Jack cut off the next person in line to resolve the issue, "It appears there has been a mistake…"

The bouncer retorted, "Yeah, and it's you, still standing here. You _don't_ got a ticket, you _ain't_ gettin' in!"

Now it was Ashi's turn to step in, "Hold on, we were invited by DJ O-Liv herself; she never told us we would need tickets!"

The bouncer chuckled, "Yeah, right! You expect me to believe that you two nobodies even got a glimpse at DJ O-Liv? Get outta here… literally, leave. You're not gettin' in." He sent them off again, taking the next person's tickets, but they weren't giving up that easily.

"It's true! I'm an old friend of Olivia's, we met her earlier today at the mall, and she told us to come tonight," Jack interjected, recapturing the bouncer's attention.

"That right? She was there earlier…" he pulled out a little notebook and adjusted his glasses, "What's your name?"

"Jack, Jack Senshi," he stood at attention as if it were a roll call.

The bouncer scanned the pages, "Jack… Jack… Nope!" he closed the book, "You're not on the list; nice try, Jack," and went back to letting people in. Jack was prepared to turn around and go home, not super committed to going to the rave in the first place.

But Ashi wasn't about to give up that easily, "Maybe you have him under a different name… the _Samurai_ …" she accentuated the title, prompting both the bouncer and the person about to step inside to stop dead in their tracks. The murmurs from the line started up again, as the bouncer peeked at Jack over his shades.

He looked him up and down, rubbing his chin as he pondered. Finally, he spoke up; "Gotta say, Samurai, Olivia painted a much more impressive picture when she described the man who saved her when she was just startin' out. And here you are, lookin' like you just rolled outta bed. Might want to consider shaving, too. Ah, but what do I know?" He shook his head as he opened the velvet rope, finally gesturing for the two of them to step inside.

Ashi's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Jack's hand before she ran inside, pulling him along excitedly. He quickly called out a "Thank you!" to the bouncer before the two of them disappeared into the crowd.

The sea of people impeded their movement, but Ashi continued to push her way through with Jack in tow. She was enthralled by the flashing lights and booming music, and the colorful silhouettes gyrating in every direction. It was exactly like Jack had described. Jack, however, was trying his best to ward off the oblivious dancers closing in on him from all sides, while also cringing at the visual and auditory assault on his perception.

Ashi finally stopped at a relatively clear spot in the middle of the dance floor, letting go of Jack's hand and her inhibition all at once. Seeing her surrender herself to the rhythm of the music captured Jack's attention. He stood there, mesmerized, as she swayed and shook so effortlessly with the beat.

She opened her eyes for a moment to see Jack standing there, gawking. Unacceptable, she thought, and grabbed both of Jack's hands this time. "Come on, Jack! Just relax and go with the beat!" She let go again as she got back into it, giving Jack another example. Awkwardly, he started bobbing up and down slowly while alternatingly pumping his arms; but as he "danced", his body started to gravitate towards other rhythmic actions it knew quite well. All of a sudden, he remembered the dance he invented at his only other rave years ago.

Jack stepped back, assessing if the space around him was adequate, as Ashi glanced at him again. She was about to get his attention again when he began to move; he punched the air a couple times, across once with each fist, the jumped in the air with a sex kick. Once he landed, he struck multiple different martial arts stances in quick succession with the beat. He alternated those three movements, and it all flowed together quite gracefully. Now, Ashi was the one gawking.

Other people were now noticing the familiar dance as well, and though they were drowned by the music, the murmurs had returned. Jack stopped after a few moments, more embarrassed than fatigued, and Ashi went up to him. "Nice moves, Samurai!" she shouted over the music, which came to an abrupt halt; then a bright stoplight shown at them from above the stage.

A mouse-like silhouette rose from the audio console, "Ladies and Gentlemen! The Samurai is in the hooouse!" she hollered, and the crowd cheered wildly. "But we cannot rave with our hero, until we give him a show of gratitude!" Another roar from the crowd.

Colored lights illuminated the form to revealing Olivia, who held out both her arms wide, "Samuraaai DROP!" her voice echoed.

Everyone around was standing still with their heads tilted down, as the music came up in a crescendo; colored strobe lights scanned the crowd repeatedly. Jack and Ashi stood there in pure confusion.

" _We will never forget you til the day we die!_ " Olivia began to sing as the music leveled off, " _The Samuraaai, the Samuraaai!_ " The beat came back in, and everyone around began to do Jack's signature dance. Awed by the mob of people imitating Jack in reverence, the couple decided to join them in their movement.

The song finally ended, and the crowd cheered as Jack and Ashi collapsed into each other, both exhausted and laughing. DJ O-Liv spoke up again, "Thank you, Samurai! Now, let's keep this party going!" the crowd hollered as the rave music came back, and the dancing started up again like before.

Jack was parched, and he noticed a small booth off to the side that was selling refreshments; dehydration was likely a common issue in this setting, he thought. "Let's go get something to drink, we've been dancing for a while," he suggested to Ashi, and she agreed. They started walking without breaking eye contact, meaning Jack wasn't watching where he was going, and he crashed into another dancer.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," he apologized.

But the man waved a hand, "S'all good, babe! By the way, I am _groovin'_ on the mane!" he snapped and pointed at Jack's hair.

Jack touched his locks with a smile, "Why, thank you! I like your hat!" The man grinned back at Jack, but it fell as he looked to the woman standing to Jack's left.

He hurried off, shouting, "Thanks, babe! I gotta fly though, toodles!"

Jack turned to Ashi, "Huh, the people here are such characters…" he trailed off as he saw the look of horror on her face, "What's wrong?"

Ashi snapped in his direction, quickly thinking up an excuse to go off on her own, "I… uh… need to use the restroom! Can you grab a water bottle for me while I go?"

"Yes, of course! I'll see you in a bit," he waved as he went off towards the drink vendor, and she smiled back until he was out of sight, then furrowed her brow and followed in the direction her Father's assistant went off in.

He was just about to step out of the building when Ashi pulled him back in by his arm, turning him to face her. His shocked expression changed to one of pure joy, "Oh heeey! Fancy meeting you here, babe! How ya been since I last saw you?" he cheekily asked.

Ashi scowled, "Like you don't know! My Dad asked you to spy on me, didn't he?"

"Frankly, I don't know what you're talking about, babe! As a connoisseur of all things music, I'm only here to familiarize myself with what the kids are into nowadays! Quite the shindig, ain't it?" he coyly responded, dancing along with the beat as she glared at him.

"Don't act so innocent, I know what you and my Dad are up to; he thinks he can keep tabs on me even when he's not around, but I can worry about my own life! I certainly don't need his beatboxing man servant to do it for me!" she asserted angrily.

Scaramouche held up his hands in defense, "First of all, babe, it's called 'scatting'. Second, your Dad only asked me to look out for you is all; he's worried about his precious daughter!"

Ashi scoffed, "I bet…"

"No, really! Now that the daughters of AKu are getting some publicity, he wants to make sure y'all can handle a life in the spotlight! He was on the "The Midnight Hour with Clark Davis" a few weeks back, and he mentioned you and your sisters, did you see that?" Scaramouche touted excitedly.

"Yeah, I saw it…" Ashi replied, rolling her eyes.

Scaramouche waved his hand dismissively, "Anyway, don't you worry! Your Father isn't coming back to town until the end of the year at the earliest, he told me not to tell him anything I know until then."

Ashi's eyes squinted as she asked with hesitation, "…How much _do_ you know?"

His grin went wide, "Well, for starters, I know about your new boy toy…" he said teasingly as he put his hands on his hips.

"I… don't know what you're talking about," she argued, turning away from him.

" _Now_ who's playing dumb! Oh, come on, babe, you've spent every day for the last month with him, and now you're going to try to deny it? You're. Dating. The Samurai! Honestly, I find it hysterical," he laughed, as Ashi continued to avoid eye contact. "Tell me, did he whip out the ole' samurai sword yet? I bet he's good some kinda Bushido kama sutra to pull moves from! I cannot wait to see the look on your Dad's face when I tell him that the Samurai deflowered his little flower! Talk about priceless, babe!"

All the different colored strobe lights illuminating Ashi's face masked how red it was, "For your information, we haven't…. gone there yet. Jack is a gentleman that respects me, and we only move forward once we both feel we're ready."

Scaramouche shook his head while clicking his tongue, "Careful, Ashi! Guys have a one-track mind; if you play it classy for too long, he might run off with some other chick who's more willing to put out…" he glanced over the crowd behind Ashi, and she could see his attention drawn to something in particular, "Like that one!"

Ashi turned and stood on her toes to peek over the crowd; she could see Jack over by the drinks, standing awfully close to a female dancer. Her eyes went wide, she turned to Scaramouche and hissed, "We're not done with this conversation!" before hurrying off towards the drink stand.

"Sorry, babe, but _I_ am," Scaramouche chuckled to himself as he waltzed out of the building, passing a man in a zipped sweatshirt with his hood up. In fact, a noticeable amount of people already present were wearing the same outfit.

/

Jack was pleasantly surprised at how much he was enjoying himself.

Dancing was never his first choice of activity, but dancing with Ashi was something he could see himself doing more often. On top of that, all the recognition he was receiving for his good deeds was certainly uplifting. All in all, Jack was having a pretty good night.

After weaving through the crowd to get to the drink stand, he handed the vendor a couple bucks and was given two cold water bottles in exchange. Now all he had to do was sit tight until Ashi was done in the bathroom. Jack sipped one of the water bottles as he stood there waiting, and suddenly he felt a female form press up against his back. He smiled and turned, expecting to see his girlfriend; "Wow, that was pretty quick…" but it wasn't Ashi.

"Hey there, Mr. Samurai~," Jack was startled to see a dark-skinned girl grinding on him, wearing purple ribbons wrapped around her body in place of clothes, that left very little to the imagination. She had black hair in two long, braided pigtails. The toothy smile she wore only accentuated the gap in her front teeth. She pointed at one of the water bottles in Jack's hands, "I see you have two of those, you looking for someone to share with~?" she asked playfully, as she moved closer to him.

Clearing his throat, Jack stood his ground against the female dancer. "I'm afraid not; you see, this is for my girlfriend, I'm simply waiting for her to return," he smiled politely, feeling he had gotten his point across. But she hadn't gotten the hint, as she continued to press herself against Jack, who recoiled from the contact.

"Well, aren't you a gentleman~? But who says you have to just stand around and be bored until she gets back? You should dance with me!" He was about to turn her down once more until she turned around while pressed against him, emphasizing her rear end. He couldn't help but notice the sunflower just below the small of her back. "Pleeeaase, Samurai? You're such a big hero, and I would really like to show you my personal appreciation~" she cooed, writhing her body rhythmically against him.

Jack's face now matched the strobe light flashing on him, "M-Miss, please! Thi-This is hi-highly ina-pro…propriate," he squeaked out, struggling to speak.

The dancer wouldn't budge, sensually moving to the music. "Don't worry, your girlfriend can join us when she gets here…" she barely had time to finish her sentence when she was roughly yanked away from Jack.

"No thanks," said Ashi, bluntly denying the promiscuous offer, as she threw the girl aside and moved in front of Jack. The girl glared at Ashi while gathering herself, then blew a kiss and winked at the Samurai before sauntering away, swaying her hips.

Jack let out a deep exhale, "Thank you, I wasn't… prepared to handle that," he said sheepishly. But Ashi didn't respond, nor did she even turn to acknowledge him. She was too preoccupied with Scaramouche's words ringing in her head, and they were proving to be more necessary than she would've preferred.

"Ashi?" Jack placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of it.

"S-Sorry, are you okay?" Ashi asked worriedly.

Jack smiled, "I'm fine, but what about you? It seemed like you zoned out for a second there."

She was about to reassure him that nothing was wrong, but a commotion taking place across the room caught their attention. With suspicious coordination, everyone in the room wearing identical hoodies pulled out and put on a green latex tiger mask, and unzipped their coats to reveal a random red letter. One of them had kicked in one of the large speakers, and the rest were proceeding to cause all sorts of havoc.

Many of the dancers began to scramble for the doors; the masked men were aggressive towards the normal ravers, who were now afraid of becoming a statistic on tomorrow's news. The bouncer noticed the situation brewing, but chose to tend to the fleeing crowd. Olivia's bodyguards escorted her offstage, but she didn't stop the music on the way out, leaving a blaring rave beat as the backdrop for the chaos.

Jack and Ashi, who weren't making any attempts to escape, were near enough to the drink vendor's cart to notice a couple tiger men push it over. They then approached the couple, intending to antagonize them, but quickly learned why their targets had yet to flee.

Once they dropped the thugs, Jack and Ashi moved on to the rest of the tiger men. More of them noticed the two sticking around, and joined the fray. Jack got one of them with a cross counter, following up with a knee to the gut; he tossed the thug into another, knocking both down. He dodged a swipe and got low, sweeping the attacker's legs. Ashi swiftly kicked a thug in front of her, then brought her leg behind to kick another. Her head tilted right to dodge a punch, grabbing the fist and tossing the attacker over her shoulder, then delivering a nasty elbow to one of the latex tiger masks. As the fight went on, Jack and Ashi's moves became more and more coordinated; they moved in compliment to each other, covering each other's openings and alternating targets when necessary.

All of the other dancers were long gone, and the bouncer was posted up against the wall, enjoying the fight. Finally realizing they were outmatched, the gang of tiger men were now fleeing themselves, and the bouncer didn't even try to intercept them. Jack and Ashi stood there, triumphant, and they now realized how empty the room had become. Olivia came back, finally turning off the music; she started to pack up any equipment that wasn't broken.

The bouncer finally got off the wall, and approached the victorious couple. "If I had any doubts you were actually the Samurai, I'd feel pretty silly right now. That was tight," he praised, fist-bumping Jack.

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, I can't take all the credit; after all, Ashi took out most of them."

Ashi shook her head, "What? No, I was just watching your back! _You_ were the one doing all the work," she objected, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Y'all are too damn modest, both of you whooped some serious ass! You got my respect," he bumped his chest twice as a show of it, and walked away without another word. Now they were really by themselves, standing there in contemplative silence.

Jack finally spoke up, "This kind of thing happens to us a lot, doesn't it?" and she bluntly replied, "Mm hmm." They looked at each other, quietly.

Suddenly, a soft melody came up from the remaining speakers. Looking around in surprise, they turned around to look at the stage, where Olivia had her elbows on the console and rested her chin on her interlocked fingers. "Felt like you guys could use a little ambience, ya know? Anyway, don't mind me, I'm not even here," she assured with a wink.

They met eyes again, this time also sharing a soft smile; without a word they came together, holding each other's hand and placing the other on Ashi's waist and Jack's shoulder respectively. Slowly, they swayed along with the rhythm, gazes firmly fixed on each other.

Despite the lovely scene, Ashi still felt uneasy. Scaramouche's warning was still fresh in her mind, and her original fear of her Father founding out about Jack had returned. Now, she was on a deadline; by the end of the year, her Dad _would_ find out about him, it was only a matter of time. Oh, and Jack still didn't know about her Dad either, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be as big of an issue as the former.

Regardless, she had to take precautions. Jack would surely be in danger if AKu found out about their relationship, what could she do to protect it? Protect him?

Suddenly, she remembered Jack's offer from earlier that day. He wanted her to move in with him, which was a big step given they were only together for a month. But if she, AKu's daughter, lived with the Samurai, then maybe AKu would think twice about messing with him. But… Jack's apartment wasn't the most spacious; moving in would certainly be a hassle, and Jack coming to live with her was out of the question.

As they danced, Ashi finally came up with a solution. "Jack…" she spoke in almost a whisper, "I've been thinking… about moving in with you."

Jack's eyes widened a bit, "Oh?"

She continued, "I think… I will. The answer is yes…"

Jack's wide eyes lit up, "Really? Ashi, that's…"

" _But_ …" she cut him off, and his face fell slightly. "I have my own stipulation," Ashi smirked at him.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "Okay… well, let's hear it."

She took a breath, "I'll move in with you for the time being, but only if we look for a new place. A bigger place that can accommodate both of us. We keep working together, watching each other's backs, and we earn it. Deal?"

Jack looked surprised again, but slipped back into a soft smile, "Deal."

Ashi smiled back, then rested her head on his chest as they continued to quietly sway with the music. A few moments later, she felt a vibration as Jack spoke up again, "Hey, Ashi?"

She looked up without moving her head, "Yes?"

"Happy Anniversary."

—END CHAPTER 11—

/


	13. Jack and Ashi vs Thanksgiving

—CHAPTER 12—

The day after the rave was Jack and Ashi's one-month anniversary, but they didn't make it a big deal. They simply spent the day together, winding down after the eventful night before.

Sleeping in until around noon, the couple got up and went to get "breakfast" at Brewshido, during which, they discussed their future living arrangements. Ashi had a suggestion for a new place to live, and she wanted to go check it out; it was pretty close to the coffee shop, so Jack agreed to go see it.

Before they left the shop, Ashi pointed out an article she found on social media regarding the gang that crashed the rave last night. Apparently, they weren't a gang, but a group of obsessive fans of another popular EDM group, Alphabet tiger (or, "AlPhAb3tIg3r", as they like to spell it). The fans of the group allegedly held a grudge against DJ O-Liv for taking the top of the charts in place of their favorite artist; the masks and shirts they wore were AlPhAb3tIg3r merchandise.

As they headed towards the vacant property from Brewshido, Jack was getting déjà vu of the first week of their relationship. Sure enough, she led him to the very same building for sale that caught his attention back then.

They stood in front of the property, in the middle of a three-way intersection. Jack held the sides of his hands against the glass as he peeked inside. "It's… big, what would we do with all this space?

Ashi was beside him, leaning against the window, "Well, you remember what I suggested when we first passed this place?"

"Hmm, you said 'this would be a good place to start a business', or something like that…?" Jack recalled, and Ashi nodded, "But again, what sort of business did you have in mind?"

Ashi raised an eyebrow, "Come on, think about it! What profession makes the most sense for the two of us? It's really not that hard," she teased. Feeling challenged, Jack quickly thought of all the activities he and Ashi did together.

They worked the same job, but that job involved doing many different types of work; they were odd-jobbers, but that wasn't the sort of thing you advertised. What was she talking about?

Out of nowhere, Ashi shouted, "Here's a hint!" She took a swing at Jack's head with her right arm, causing him to ditch his train of thought and block it. The strike was like a jolt to the light bulb above his head, cuing him into what Ashi was talking about.

Jack peered in the window again, taking in the vacant interior. He closed his eyes and he could see it, he and Ashi's new dojo, with authentic tatami floors and traditional Japanese decorations. A line of students punching the air in perfect unison, their faces were hard to make out. Jack turned to his left to see Ashi punching back at them; she turned to him and a bright smile graced her face.

He opened his eyes to see the real Ashi standing there, looking at him expectantly. "Ashi!" Jack rushed up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders excitedly, "We should teach Martial Arts!"

Her surprise turned to enthusiasm, "Yes, exactly!"

Jack pulled her in for a big hug, lifting her up by the waist as he spun a little, "You're a genius!" Ashi was both hugging and holding onto his neck, laughing as she picked up her heels. They finally settled down, and Jack gently placed her down as she released her hold on him, straightening out her shirt for a moment.

"Okay so, we're going to do this! Where do we start?" Ashi asked Jack eagerly, focusing herself.

Jack opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped himself to think, realizing he didn't know off the top of his head. "Well, I suppose we should first worry about actually buying the property. The price is the most immediate concern, and we'll probably be on our own when it comes to remodeling. Plus, we should see if there any other martial arts academies round here; you know, 'check out the competition,'" Jack nudged her with his elbow.

Ashi giggled before replying, "Those sound like reasonable steps. I guess we can start by calling the number tomorrow during business hours; that's probably the best time to get in touch with the property owner."

"Agreed," said Jack, and with that, the couple headed off to Ashi's apartment; most of her things were already at Jack's place, but she had to grab a couple things that were left behind.

As Ashi gathered the rest of her clothing into a small suitcase, Jack moved items from the desk drawers into a plastic bag. He got to the long drawer directly above where you would put your legs if you were to sit at the desk. Sifting through the papers within, one in particular caught his attention. It was a colorless sketch of a female figure, with short hair that was pushed out of her face off to the side, the back curving out in the same direction. She wore a dress that hung over one shoulder, a frilled collar, and some kind of wrapping on her calves to act as stockings; the whole getup looked like it was made out of leaves and plants.

Jack stood up with the drawing in hand, turning to Ashi; "Did you draw this?" he asked, suddenly feeling like this had happened before.

She didn't turn around, continuing what she was doing as she answered, "Draw what?" Ashi stood in front of the closet making a mental note of everything she had packed so far, when Jack approached her and held the drawing out in front of her.

Her eyes widened a bit as a hint of red graced her face, "O-Oh, that… It was just something I made on a whim, after you showed me the drawings you had from when you were young. I don't know why I… it just came to me, I guess."

Jack smiled at the picture, "I like it! Is there a story behind this?" Ashi raised an eyebrow at the question.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well for one thing, who is she? Does she have a name? Where does she come from?" Ashi waved her hands, attempting to halt Jack's barrage of questions.

"Whoa, whoa, slow your roll. I know you gave the Samurai this in-depth backstory, but I wasn't _that_ committed to this," she asserted, taking the paper from Jack's hand to look again for herself. Her expression changed back to one of slight embarrassment, "Although, I _did_ intend for her to tie into… your story, somewhat. Like I said, I didn't put that much thought into it."

Jack moved right next to her, looking at the picture again. He put his arm around her, "Then how about we just call her, 'the Samurai's girlfriend', for now and leave it at that, hm?"

Ashi chuckled, "Yeah, okay. I guess it _is_ canon, after all," she joked, and they both had a good laugh.

/

Now in the last week of November, Jack and Ashi hadn't skipped a beat since she moved in.

After a brief discussion with the owner of the vacant building, their goal was clearly defined: the selling price was two hundred fifty thousand for the whole building. However, the owner stated that a down payment of fifty thousand would get them into the building with a monthly rent of fifteen hundred. There wasn't a deadline, only the possibility of someone else buying that property before they could, and they were already and eight away from the down payment. Once they got the building, they would continue working to establish their own martial arts academy. And then… well, one step at a time.

The couple was back on the grind of working various odd jobs around town; word had been getting around about the couple being reliable workers, and people were now coming to them for help with all sorts of labor. Charlie Rothschild, Jack's friend from the country club, asked the two to help organize his rather extensive personal library, located right inside his expansive home. Another day, they lent to a hand to a catering service that was catering a dinner party; Jack was told to tie his hair back, which he did begrudgingly. But Ashi told him she thought it looked good, and he felt better about it.

They also spent a few days last week operating a delivery truck. Neither of them understood how they were allowed to drive a truck without a proper license; they decided not to ask questions and just go with it for the money. Ashi insisted on driving, since Jack always drove her around on his motorcycle, so Jack handled the packages.

It was Monday night. Ashi was channel surfing when Jack entered with their mail from that morning; they didn't have time to get it in the morning, they had to be at their most recent job pretty early. He walked in, shuffling the envelopes around, finally pulling one out. "Hey, Ashi," he spoke up, and she looked up from the television, "This one is for you," he said, handing her a distinctive envelope.

Ashi knew immediately what it was, "Heeere we goo…" she sighed, tearing open the envelope. Sure enough, it was what she expected: "It's for my Mother's Thanksgiving dinner, the one she hosts at a banquet hall every year. Every year, my sister's and I make the trip aaall the way back to Pennsylvania to have a 'lovely family dinner', which my Mother makes a point to _not_ include our Father in. It's one of the only times our Mother gets us to herself anymore," Ashi explained dryly, a look of apathy on her face.

"I hate going, but _anything_ to please Mommy dearest…" she rolled her eyes at her own sarcasm, tossing the letter down and disinterestedly picking up the TV remote to continue watching literally anything; whatever got this stupid holiday off her mind.

Jack looked at her sympathetically; for all his problems, Ashi had her own to worry about as well, yet she was always doing whatever she could to help him. But clearly, she had a very strained relationship with her Mother, and while Jack couldn't relate, he was still determined to stand by her side and help her fight her family demons.

Speaking of demons, Jack had come to a conclusion about Ashi's Father, whom she rarely discussed in great detail. All he knew was that the man was quite wealthy. But the way she would always tense up, and look apprehensive whenever AKu was brought up around them gave it away. It was obvious: Ashi's Father was one of AKu's benefactors.

With how much she knew about Jack's past, he could understand why Ashi would be reluctant to tell him about her Father. So, maybe he funds AKu's operations; honestly, who doesn't these days? Either way, Jack was prepared to stay with Ashi, no matter what her Father may have done.

But the problem at hand was addressing this to Ashi, albeit with a little more tact. Carefully, Jack sat down next to Ashi, watching her as she gave her right thumb a workout. He cleared his throat and started hesitantly, "I, uh… I'm sorry you don't get along with your Mother, but maybe this year will not be so bad?"

Ashi stopped clicking the remote and turned to him with a smug expression, "Oh yeah? And why is that?" She expected a joke from Jack, but his reply wasn't very funny.

"You can bring me along, right?... I mean, we've been an… item for some time, we live together, and we're working towards starting a business! I-I'm sorry to impose like this, but I… I want to be there for you. You shouldn't feel so alone, _especially_ when you're with family. Maybe, if I'm there, too, you won't have such a bad time with them." He was turned to Ashi on the couch, looking at her expectantly as he rested his left hand on her leg.

They sat in silence for a few moments, as Ashi processed Jack's words. The poor guy had no idea what awaited him, but he was so determined… and admittedly, she _did_ want him there.

Ashi's expression changed to a soft, loving gaze as she touched his face. "Jack, you don't know how much it means to me that you want to go… but, there's something you need to understand about this occasion. There's this… rite of passage that we call, 'The Test'," her voice deepened when she said the name.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "The… Test?"

As she explained, "The Test" was any essentially any conversation had between a boyfriend/girlfriend of one of the sisters and their Mother. Passing the test meant getting through the entire dinner without leaving the table in humiliation.

Apparently, their Mother had a history of humiliating Thanksgiving dinner guests; her trick was to start a casual conversation, luring the guest into letting their guard down. Then, she would begin poking and prodding at topics they found sensitive or difficult to talk about. If even the slightest bit of weakness or discomfort was shown, Mother would continue to bombard the victim with invasive and interrogative questions, until they either broke down or ran off; most ended up doing both.

"As of three years ago, only one person has passed 'The Test'; he's no longer with us…"

Jack's eyes widened, "He _died_!?"

Ashi gasped, "What!? No, he just isn't with my sister anymore. Sorry, I guess I worded that weird…"

Jack was relieved that is life was not going to be on the line. Even so, he would not be intimidated by the failure of those before him; if even one person was able to succeed, them so could Jack.

"Ashi, none of that matters to me. All I want to do is be involved in your life, even if that means being scrutinized by your domineering Mother." Jack declared, causing a flustered Ashi to snuggle up against him on the couch.

She spoke up again, "One more thing, it's at a banquet hall, which means there's a dress code. Hope you have something nice to wear."

/

The train roared as it rumbled through the valley. Ashi watched the tops of houses and telephone poles fly past out the window, against a mountainous green backdrop.

Today was Thanksgiving, and Ashi's family dinner was in less than an hour. It was all she could think about while gazing out the window of the moving train. She nervously ran her thumb over Jack's interlocked hand, as he sat back against the train seat with his eyes closed. _He_ was the one who should be nervous, yet he was so relaxed.

Jack wore a light gray suit with a violet dress shirt and blue tie, his hair gathered back into a ponytail once again; Ashi had on a slim black dress with matching heels, and wore the ladybug bracelet she got for their anniversary. The couple had just left the hotel they were staying at in South Philadelphia, where they had ridden a train from Burlington station to get to the day before.

From there, they had to take another train to Lancaster, then a cab to the banquet hall. An expensive and lengthy trip, to be sure, but Ashi used her Father's money to finance it, not wanting to use their hard-earned money on this nonsense. They would be at Lancaster station in the next ten minutes or so.

Ashi gave Jack's hand a light squeeze, "Jack?" wondering if he was asleep. A soft, "Hm?" in response told her he was not, and Jack cracked his right eye to peek at her. "I need to talk to you before we get there," said Ashi; they still had a few minutes before they arrived in Lancaster.

Jack yawned, "Sure, what is it?" he said, now fully at attention. Ashi furrowed her brow, "We're almost there, I have to warn you about one more thing: Don't talk about AKu. My Mother, uh… shares your disdain for him, and doesn't let anyone bring him up in conversation around her." She wasn't lying, but still felt like she had to sell it. "So, could you do me a favor and not bring him up? Trust me, it wouldn't be fun for anybody," she added.

But Jack smiled, receptive to the instructions; "No worries, I'd rather not think about you-know-who anyway." He thought to himself that Ashi's Mother's hatred of AKu probably related to her ex-husband. "So, is there anything I should know about your sisters?" Jack asked.

Ashi glanced off towards the window again, holding her chin in contemplation. "Well, I guess the most important thing to know is that, uh… there's six of them, and… we're basically identical," the tone of her voice dropped with each pause, as she remembered the days of being lumped into a collective, when her individuality was horribly lacking. Venom dripped from her speech as she continued, "Oh, and for some godforsaken reason, probably out of conceit, my Mother decides to give us each a name starting with an 'A' and ending in an 'I'! What a fabulous idea! Fucking _brilliant_!"

A couple passengers within earshot turned their heads at her heated outburst, as she crossed her arms and pouted. Jack spoke hesitantly, "Wow, that's… that is something. I'm sorry this is such a sore subject for you."

Ashi sighed, "Don't apologize, it's whatever. Let's just get this dinner over with." Just then, the train started slowing down. Screeching to a halt, they had arrived at Lancaster station. Now they just had to grab a taxi to the banquet hall; it didn't take long to find one awaiting in the parking lot.

A short taxi ride, and the couple arrived at their destination. Westbrook Country Club made Oakland in Burlington look miniscule in comparison; the huge, sprawling estate was surrounded by an expansive golf course that separated the property from the outside world. As they paid the driver, one of the valets opened the car door for them to step out, and another held the door to the building.

There was a coat check in the corner of the lobby, which they decided to leave their jackets at, then made their way up the carpeted staircase in the center of the room. Ashi gulped as she looked around at all the fancily-dressed guests, holding glasses of champagne and enjoying expensive looking Hors d'oeuvres. Jack noticed her hesitation, so he held the crook of his elbow out for her to take, which she slid her arm between.

Calmly, they stepped into the fray of people in line for cocktail hour, looking for Ashi's family. Jack finally noticed five Ashis sitting over by the bar… oh right, he thought. Identical.

And she wasn't kidding; not only were their hairstyles the only way you could tell their faces apart, but somehow each of them ended up wearing the exact same slim black dress. Probably at their Mother's behest, Jack thought.

Before Ashi slipped out from Jack's arm to say hello, the sister with short hair that hung straight down with parted bangs noticed the two of them standing there. "Ashi! You finally made it!" she squealed, running up and hugging Ashi as her right foot popped up behind her.

"Hello, Ami! You never change, do you?" Ashi beamed at her sister, who returned it tenfold.

"Nope, as if you'd have it any other way!" Ami joked, poking at Ashi's ribs as the rest of her sisters joined them.

The sister with blunt bangs and hair that flipped up in the back spoke up next, "Speak for yourself!" her pout turned into a smirk as she went to hug Ashi herself, "You're okay, though."

Ashi laughed, "Hi, Abbi! I see you two are getting along, as usual," she remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Abbi scoffed, "Yeah, what else is new?" causing the sister with a bob cut and cut bangs to cut in.

"These earrings are new! Do you like them, Ashi?" she looked at her expectantly.

"Yes, they're lovely. Nice to see you, too, Anni," sighed Ashi. Anni smiled cheerily at the compliment/greeting, but was soon shoved aside by a sister with hair that protruded from both sides of her head even further than Abbi's, and three baby bangs.

"That's enough, princess. Ashi! How are ya, kid?" she greeted.

Ashi rolled her eyes playfully, "I'm fine, Ali; same age as you, as always," she joked, causing Ali to laugh louder than Jack would've expected.

She playfully slugged Ashi's arm as she laughed, "Oh, you! That one never gets old…" and Ashi laughed uncomfortably as she rubbed her arm. She really hated being called "kid".

Ashi then caught sight of her last present sister, who had her hair spiky and tousled, but still rather shirt. "Don't think I forgot about you, Ari!" she moved to talk to Ari directly, "It's great to see you, how are… things?"

The sister clasped her hands and smiled warmly, "Things, have been lovely, and it is lovely to see you, Ashi," she moved in and embraced Ashi, unintentionally preventing her from reciprocating.

Just then, Ami noticed the bearded man with the ponytail standing awkwardly behind her. "Oh? And who's this handsome fellow, Ashiii~?" The spitting image of Ashi rushed up to Jack, who leaned in for a closer look as he leaned back.

Ashi, after Ari released her from her bearhug, stepped in the middle of them, "Ami, everyone, this is Jack, my boyfriend," she revealed, sheepishly.

The sisters gasped, muttering to each other about, "The Test":

"Awww shit, he's taking the test!"

"Oh my, looks like we're in for some drama~."

"Are we placing bets this year? We should place bets this year."

"Ohh, you poor thing…"

Ami to squeal in joy, as she lined up her palms and held her fingers up to her lips. Hopping happily over to Jack, she extended a hand for him to shake, which he reciprocated. "It's sooo nice to meet you, future brother-in-law!" said Ami cheerfully, as Jack and Ashi both blushed.

Jack chuckled, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but it's a pleasure to meet you, as well."

"Don't let her flatter you, she says that to literally any guy one of us brings to these things," Abbi remarked, causing Ami to shout in protest, "Do _not_!" Abbi walked up to Jack, "But maybe she's right for once, you must really be something if Ashi brought you to this; she did tell you about "The Test", right?"

Jack nodded, "Oh, yes. Ashi told me way ahead of time, I assure you I am adequately prepared."

It was Anni's turn to interject again, "Such confidence; I adore that! Call me Anni, charmed to meet you," she said posh, holding out her hand daintily.

Jack got the hint, and took her hand as he bowed slightly, "The pleasure is mine, Miss."

The mannerly gesture caught Anni off guard; she touched her chest dramatically, turning to her sister, "Oooh, what a gentleman! Ashi, where did you find this one?"

Before she could answer, Ali once again pushed her aside, "Wherever it is, you should go there and stay. Hey there, Jack, name's Ali!" back to a traditional handshake, Jack reciprocated, causing Ali to comment, "Woah, nice grip! I like you already!" He laughed, then turned to say hello to Ari.

But she beat him to it, grabbing his hand with both of hers, "Darling, you seem like a man of outstanding moral character. I'm pleased that you could join us on this occasion, and I wish you the best of luck."

Jack smiled at Ashi's good will, "Why, thank you!"

Just then, he noticed that there were only five sisters, not counting Ashi; "So, where's the last one? Aren't there supposed to be seven of you?"

He turned to his girlfriend, who had just realized her sister's absence as well, "Oh yeah, where's Aki?"

"Who knows? She's too good for us now that she's got her little music career. I doubt she's even showing up at all." Abbi scoffed.

Ami jumped up in response, "Nope, she's coming! She texted me earlier that she was on her way from a show. She sure has gotten popular!"

Abbi rolled her eyes, "Yes, apparently all you need to make a hit nowadays is to write some crap about boys, and preteen girls will eat it up. She's had like, what, three? I liked her music before she went solo."

"Oh, Abbi, no need to sound so bitter! Not all of us can be so successfully unsuccessful when it comes to relationships!" Anni laughed, and the rest of the sisters giggled.

Ali chimed in, "Yeah, and to think the guy she brought a few years back was the only one to pass "The Test". _That_ didn't last very long."

Ami chimed in again, "Oh yeah, I remember that! Brad, right? Aki was soo into him. Then, right after they split was when she stared to sing about break-ups; I guess he was the reason for her change in tune, huh?" she quipped, while popping her eyebrows up and down at the pun she made.

The sisters groaned at Ami's attempt at humor, Abbi moving to slap her upside the head. Ari spoke up now, "In all seriousness, that's probably exactly what happened. Think about it: Aki started her solo act like right before that Thanksgiving, when she was singing cheesy love songs. That stopped after she and Brad broke up, and now she just writes about fuckboys. What else could it be?"

Ashi turned to Jack, "Do you know the band, 'Assassin'?" she asked, but Jack shook his head. "Well, Aki was the band's lead singer. They were hugely popular with the punk rock scene like four years ago, then they broke up, and she started a solo career soon after." But Ashi could see from his shrugging that Jack was still at a loss; "Come on, you've definitely heard their stuff before. They did that one song, 'Naginata'? How does it go again…?"

Suddenly, a chilling presence broke Ashi's concentration; she and her sisters all got a chill when they heard a familiar voice, "Ashi! It was awfully rude of you to ignore me, haven't I taught you better than that?" Her Mother looked at her disapprovingly, as her sisters all backed away subtly, leaving Jack and Ashi to face the matriarch alone. They were much less afraid of her after years under their Father's loose supervision, but Mother's glare still made their blood run cold.

"O-Of course, Mother. But you were speaking to someone over there, it would've been ruder to interrupt you," Ashi explained, trying to quell her Mother's aggravation. It seemed to work, as her Mother's furrowed brow released and her face softened slightly.

"Hmph, I suppose… Well, nice to see you, dear," she said, giving an uncomfortable Ashi a hug.

Mother then noticed Jack standing there, and she eyed him up and down over Ashi's shoulder. Her expressionless face made Jack feel scrutinized, and the fact that she looked like an older Ashi made it even weirder for him. On top of that, Ashi and her sisters were now transfixed on the exchange, anxious to see Jack's "performance".

"You must be Jack, Ashi mentioned you would be coming," the woman spoke calmly as she broke from the embrace and moved past her daughter to address Jack directly.

"Y-Yes, it's nice to finally meet you, uh, again!" Jack nervously replied, and Mother raised an eyebrow. "I knew you and Ashi a very long time ago, when she and I were enrolled in the same martial arts class," he added.

Her Mother looked somewhat surprised, "Huh, now that you mention it, your face does look familiar; even with all of your… hair. I must say, back then, I was quite impressed by your prowess. Ashi trained diligently, but she was never as good as you; some people never succeed, no matter how hard they work," she mused darkly.

Jack got a little unnerved by that response, but brushed it off. "Perhaps… but I can say for sure that your daughter is a gifted martial artist. Even back then, she was always a top contender, and now, she is undoubtedly my equal," he asserted, shooting Ashi a pleasant gaze. She blushed as Ami, who had caught Jack's look, smirked and nudged her sister with her elbow.

Ashi, however, was in full panic mode as soon as her Mother addressed Jack. With a tight-lipped smile, she returned Jack's gaze half-heartedly. But her Mother's reply gave her momentary relief; "Well, that's certainly nice of you to say…" Mother said flatly, "Now then, it's time to move to the dining room. Dinner is about to start."

Both she and Jack let out a deep sigh, as the group began moving to the dining room. A few of the sisters addressed Jack as they walked.

"You're doing great so far!" Ami praised, holding two thumbs up as she skipped past him.

Ali patted him hard on the back, "Yeah, don't fuck up!"

Ari glared at her, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder, "Just relax, take a deep breath; you'll be okay!"

Ashi then slipped her arm back into the crook of his elbow, smiling at him reassuringly as they walked through the double doors and towards their table.

In the extravagant dining room, many large round tables stood, each dressed in a pure white table cloth with plates and utensils set all around them; theirs table had nine places set. The food would be brought out in the next twenty minutes or so.

Ashi sat down calmly, but her heart was beating rapidly. That brief exchange between Jack and her Mother went pretty well, but things could go downhill pretty fast. Mother had a history of snowballing conversations at Thanksgiving dinner. But Jack knows what he's doing, he's going to be just fine, she thought to herself… right? She reached for the bottle of red wine in the middle of the table and poured some for herself, nervously taking a generous sip from the glass.

Just then, "Hey, fam! Sorry I'm late, couldn't bail on the fans, y' know?" An Ashi with hair that stood up on her head and curled like devilish horns walked up behind her Mother, putting both hands on her shoulders. "Hi, Mom, Happy Thanksgiving!" she said, her voice dripping with faux-sincerity.

"Hmph, nice of you to join us, Aki," Mother hissed, turning around to confront her newly-arrived daughter, "How many times must I tell you that 'fashionably late' is unacceptable? You are to be here _before_ we are seated; next time, you won't be welcome."

Aki rolled her eyes as she made her way around the table, greeting her sisters. "But, Mother! A girl's career is the most important aspect of her life! How could I possibly turn my back on my duties as a musician for something as trivial as a family gathering!?" she dramatically lamented with a sorrowful expression. Mother sneered at her, unable to respond to her own words being thrown back at her.

Aki then made her way to Jack, thrown off by the presence of an unfamiliar man at her family's table, "Um, excuse me. And you are…?" she trailed off.

Jack stood up to shake her hand, "Oh, my apologies! I'm Jack, Ashi's boyfriend."

Aki's eyes widened, "That so? Ashi, you never told me you were seeing someone! And she got you to come?"

"Honestly, I didn't ask him to. Jack insisted," she spoke from behind the glass of wine she was sipping.

Aki smiled at Jack, "Really? Well then, consider yourself lucky to have found this one, sis," Ashi caught onto the underlying bitterness in her voice, while Jack simply smiled back in response.

She watched as Aki sat in the empty chair two spots away from Mother, "So, where's the food? I'm starving after the flight here."

Abbi spoke up, "Too bad you missed cocktail hour, Hors d'oeuvres were fuckin' bomb this year," she said, holding up her fingers in an "OK".

"Abbi, watch your mouth," Mother scolded, causing Abbi to cross her arms in defiance and Ami to giggle at the exchange.

Ali interjected, "Nah, I'm with you, Aki. Those skimpy little finger foods don't do it for me, I want the turkey already; y'all know those legs are _mine_."

"Yes, Ali, we all know you're excited to eat like a barbarian, as always," Anni scoffed at her sister, who glared back in response.

Excitedly, Ami chimed in, "I call first dibs on the mashed potatoes!"

Finally, the servers rolled out numerous carts of food, each one being brought to a different table; carved-up turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, gravy and cranberry sauce. Jack was impressed by the flourish meticulousness with which the food was presented.

One of the servers took a bow, "Enjoy!"

/

Jack sat back in his chair, letting out a contented sigh. He hadn't eaten like that in a long time, everything was delicious.

During the meal, he casually conversed with a few of Ashi's sisters. Ami wanted to know how they met, Ali asked Jack if he played any sports, and Ari asked his opinion on a few hot-button issues; each of them were pleased with their sister's boyfriend.

But every once in a while, he'd glance across the table to see Aki eyeing him. Mostly, she turned away as soon as he noticed. But other times, she would meet his gaze for a few moments; her lips turned up in a subtle smile, making him a little uncomfortable.

"So, Jack," Mother's voice caught his and everyone else's attention, "What do you do for a living?" she asked in a deceptively casual tone. Once again, all eyes were on Jack; the ball was in his court, and the sisters watched anxiously to see if Jack would slip up.

Clearing his throat, he spoke confidently, "Well, I started out as a beat cop when I first moved to Burlington about four years ago. I did that for at least three years, until complications within my precinct prompted me to resign. After that, I got by taking classified ads for people in the neighborhood; the pay was pretty good, since everyone knew who I was from my police days."

"Yeah, Jack's a popular figure among the Burlington residents; pretty much everyone has something good to say on his behalf," Ashi touted, but her Mother looked unimpressed.

Jack chuckled sheepishly, "Yes, I suppose I have amassed a positive reputation…" but his face fell soon after, "Until recently, however, I didn't think anyone thought very highly of me anymore."

Realizing what he was about to bring up, Ashi's eyes widened. "Oh, and why is that?" her Mother inquired, sensing vulnerability.

Trying to cover him, Ashi quickly sat up and spoke, "I-It wasn't anything major, Jack just…"

But her Mother cut her off, "Ashi! Quit interrupting, let your friend speak!" She slinked back into her seat dejectedly, and Jack briefly gave her an apologetic look.

He paused, composing himself before explaining; "Last year, I ended up getting into a little bit of, uh… trouble. Long story short, I was on the wrong side of the law, and though I was acquitted, the incident did quite a number on my reputation. I couldn't find work with any of my usual employers, and I ended up having to work at a slipshod grocery store, where I could barely make a decent wage. For that whole year, I was in a rough place."

Ashi watched her Mother as she carefully listened to Jack's tale. Resting her jaw behind her interlocked fingers, she was probably waiting for the right moment to strike at Jack's self-esteem. His arrest was the perfect ammunition for her to use against him; any moment now, she would start asking for increasingly uncomfortable details from him about the incident. Ashi had no idea how she would react to finding out AKu was involved.

Surprisingly, however, she stayed quiet for him to continue. Usually by now, she was much nosier about personal affairs; instead, she left Jack alone as he told them all about his recent history. "But then, I met Ashi," Ashi piqued up hearing her name.

Ami gushed, "Oooh, I _love_ this story." Abbi looked at her contemptuously, she literally just heard this exact story ten minutes ago.

"We just happened to be at the same bar one night, and my friend convinced me to put myself out there. She caught my attention, so I went over to try to start a conversation. I was horribly nervous, and quite awkward at first," Jack chuckled, remembering how difficult it was trying to talk to her back then. "But, I kept it together, and by the end of the night, Ashi gave me her phone number. Since then, I left the grocery store I was working at; it was shut down after the owner was found to be running a… different kind of business on the side. Thanks to Ashi's encouragement, I was able to mend relationships with my old employers, and now the two of us are doing odd jobs just like I was before the, you know..."

Ashi's Mother suddenly perked up, "Is that so?" She turned to her daughter, who was sipping her wine, "Ashi," and then started choking on it, "why haven't you told me you were working again?"

Ashi looked at her Mother, wiping the wine from her lower jaw, dumbfounded that she was now being targeted. "O-Oh! I… uh…"

"And furthermore, if you're so eager to find work, why haven't you asked to come back to Priestess yet? We have openings, I could get you started Monday morning at our Burlington branch; you'd be right back in your old position, and you can resume your ascension through the ranks of the company," Ashi's Mother suggested commandingly. The rest of her daughters were surprised at her shift in focus, looking at their sister disconcertingly.

Ashi's Mother was now scolding her, "No more odd jobs, you should be thinking about finding a more stable profession. Sure, there might be plenty of jobs available now, but what about when there aren't? Are you simply going to move from job to job for the rest of your life?"

Meanwhile, Ashi sat there frozen. Spending so much time worrying about Jack, she didn't notice her own vulnerabilities. Ashi completely forgot about the "promise" she made to her Mother on her final day of working at Priestess Nutrition. Mother asked her to transfer to the Burlington branch of the company when she did universities. But Ashi had no intention of continuing to work there, so she told her Mother that she was going to focus on school for a while, and let her Father support her (she didn't intend to do that either, despite it ending up that way). Reluctantly, Ashi's Mother accepted her resignation, but only on the grounds that if she ever started working again, she would ask for her old job back. She agreed to the stipulation only to appease her Mother, then subsequently forgot about it.

Her Mother's attack completely caught her off guard, and she knew exactly how to push Ashi's buttons; Jack wasn't taking "The Test" anymore, Ashi was.

Feeling guilty for accidentally throwing Ashi under the bus, Jack quickly came up with an excuse; "No please, it's my fault. Ashi, uh… wanted to tell you herself, but I beat her to it. However, there _is_ something else she has to tell you about work… right, Ashi?"

Ashi blinked, her mind was a jumbled mess; what was Jack talking about…? Suddenly, she remembered their future business endeavor, "Y-Yes, that's right! Mother, Jack and I already have long-term business plans. Jack and I are planning to become martial arts instructors, since both of us have been training our entire lives; there's a property in Burlington we're working towards owning, and we're only going to be odd-jobbing until we move in."

Jack added, "It's a bit of a fixer-upper, but it's the perfect location. At the rate we're working, we should be able to buy our way in by March of next year." Ashi slipped her hand into his, silently thanking him for coming to her rescue.

Mother touched her chin in contemplation, and everyone at the table waited apprehensively for her response. Placing her forearms down on the table, she spoke calmly, "Really? I must say, I'm impressed by your initiative. Starting a business is no easy undertaking, I certainly hope you two are up for the task…" Mother remarked, as if she was challenging them.

Jack took the bait, "Don't worry, we are," he declared, confidently.

"Good… after all, we both want to see our dear Ashi succeed, yes?"

Ashi remained quiet as her Mother smiled menacingly, but Jack's response was an intense, yet amicable look, "More than anything."

Mother's expression didn't change, "I'm glad you agree."

Just then, the servers returned with more trays of food. They placed a small dish with a slice of cake in front of each person at the tables. The cocktail room was reopened as well, where guests could gather their own desserts; fruit salad, chocolate strawberries, cookies, and various other confections were set out to be enjoyed at one's behest.

The daughters started to get up, relieved now that "The Test" was over. As Ami crossed behind her Mother, she waved to get Jack's attention, giving a thumbs-up. Ali walked behind Jack, patting him on the shoulder. Ashi then stood up, asking Jack to come along with her to get dessert.

Once they were back in the other room, Ashi pulled him into a tight embrace, "I owe you one for that, you did great!"

Jack grinned sheepishly, "Aw, come on, I really didn't do anything", but Ashi disagreed, now only holding Jack's hands.

"Please, you held your ground against Mother, that's more than a lot of people can say," Ashi praised, " _And_ , you got her off my case about working with her; I didn't think she was _ever_ going to let that go."

"Jack, that was quite the performance you gave just now!" Ashi said, but Jack was confused why her mouth didn't move. Turns out it was Aki, who slinked right up next to them, "I know my Mother, and that thing about starting a business was a tough sell. But you pulled it off, and I think you may have just earned her respect; that's only happened with one other person…" she trailed off for a moment.

But she shook herself out of it, "A-Anyway, I came over her to speak with Ashi; do you mind if I steal her for a moment?"

Jack nodded, "Not at all! I'll meet you back at the table, okay?" he turned to Ashi.

"Okay! See you in a bit," she said softly, sending him off with a peck on the cheek.

Turning back to Aki, "So, what's up?"

Her sister got up close and whispered, "We need to talk, but not here… follow me." She grabbed Ashi's hand and pulled her towards the staircase. They took the one going up, deeper into the country club, and made a left towards the bathrooms. Instead of going in like Ashi thought they would, Aki kept pulling her past them, and around the corner to a long hallway, finally coming to a door at the end of the corridor.

Aki twisted the knob and opened the door, gesturing for Ashi to get inside; "Quick, in here," she ordered, looking around for anyone who might be onto them. Confused, Ashi stepped inside carefully, surveying the utility closet she just walked into; the only light source was coming from the hallway outside.

"Okay, so now what…" she was cut off by the door slamming behind. She ran to open it, only to find that her side lacked a handle. "Uh, Aki? Can you open the door, please?"

Her sister responded teasingly, "Sorry, what was that?"

Ashi scowled, "Open the door, Aki. This isn't funny!"

But Aki had no intention of letting her out, "Aw, that's too bad. But, I'm a musician, not a comedian; what can you do?"

Ashi was banging on the closet door now, "Why are you doing this!?"

Her sister smiled, leaning against the closet door, "Gotta hand it to you, Ashi, that boyfriend of yours is a real find. I mean, he's the only other guy besides… Brad, to pass 'The Test'. Do you know how rare it is to find someone with that level of commitment? Most guys don't even care to meet the parents, _especially_ with _our_ Mother."

"What, so you think you can have him for yourself? Tough! Jack will be looking for me once you head back and I'm not with you," Ashi hissed through the slits in the door.

But Aki responded smugly, "That's why I'm not going back, _you_ are. Aki had to leave early, to meet with her agent about a show this weekend." Ashi's eyes widened in realization, "You know, it's a good thing Mother makes us all wear the same exact dress, or this probably wouldn't work."

Ashi hit the door again, "It won't! Jack's gonna know you're not me!" she shouted angrily.

Aki whispered through the door slits, "We'll just see now, won't we?"

With that, she started back down the corridor, as Ashi continued to bang on the door and protest to be released.

"Good talk," Aki said to herself. Turning the corner, she made a right into the woman's restroom and stood in front of the mirror. She dug into the purse she was carrying, pulling out a small bottle of hairspray and a comb. Humming to herself one of her own songs, she carefully styled her hair to look nearly identical to Ashi's.

Once she was done, she looked herself over in the mirror, smiling at "Ashi" before her; "Showtime", Aki hyped herself, stepping out of the bathroom and strutting back to the dining room. She knew this wouldn't last, but was eager to see how far she could get.

Jack was sitting at the table with the other sisters, eating cake and laughing with them about a story Abbi was telling. "Ashi" touched his shoulder, whispering in his ear, "Come with me for a sec? I need to show you something."

"Sure. Ladies, excuse me for a moment," the sisters giggled at his formality, waving at him as he was led away.

/

The light from the hallway shone in through the slits in the door, casting bars of light on Ashi as she sat against the back of the closet, clutching her knees. Her face was buried in her arms.

After desperately searching the dimly-lit utility closet, nothing inside could fit through the tiny spaces in the door; escape was impossible. Aki was free to borrow her identity, and possibly take Jack for herself. The man she had fallen for was about to be taken just like Scaramouche warned, and by her own sister no less.

To make matters worse the entire closet seemed to have fallen into disuse, having dust and cobwebs all over; who would even know to look for her here? It would take them forever to find her, and Aki was probably all over Jack by now. There was nothing she could do…

…

No. Giving up was not an option.

Ashi had faith that Jack would see through Aki's deception, but she wasn't about to wait to find out. The two of them had both taken "The Test" this evening, this was merely a follow-up; if they could get through that, they could get through this. Ashi didn't need to be rescued, she had trained her entire life so she could fight for herself. And right now, the only obstacle standing in her way was a wooden door.

Ashi stood up decisively, stepping forward and getting into a stance. Bracing herself, she took a deep breath, and shouted violently as she put her fist right through the wooden slits in the door. Grabbing and twisting the door handle to her left, she was free at last.

The heels she was wearing didn't stop her, furiously racing down the hall to confront her treacherous sister.

"AKIII!"

She finally got back to the table. Ami looked up from her cake, "Hey, you're back! Where'd you guys go?"

Ashi ignored the question, "Where's Aki!?" she demanded.

Anni looked up from her phone, finally noticing the empty seat to her right, "Hmm, good question. Haven't seen her since we went to get dessert."

"Ashi! Where were you just now?" Ami vied to get her sister's attention.

"I was trapped in a closet," she answered frankly, causing the rest of the table to look at her.

"Whaa… how'd that happen?" inquired Ali, still chewing on a piece of pineapple. But Ashi didn't answer, instead running off back the way she came, to search the rest of the country club. Her Mother didn't say a word as she watched her daughter go.

After she was gone, Abbi snickered, "Hey, Ari. Maybe you could've helped Ashi out of the closet, eh?"

Ari was the only daughter not laughing, instead responding with mock laughter; "Just kidding, it wasn't funny," she barked.

"It's a little funny…" her Mother mused with a stoic expression, and Ari pouted.

/

Ashi was pulling Jack along surprisingly quick. Obviously, she was excited about him having passed "The Test", which her sisters told him he had done "with flying colors". Maybe she wanted to celebrate with some "alone time", he thought. Up for anything, Jack followed eagerly as Ashi led him through the lobby, through a set of ornate double doors.

She pushed them open to reveal an enormous ballroom; it was colorful and grand, with tall mirrors lining the patterned walls. An extravagant crystal chandelier hung over the dance floor in the center of the room, surrounded by tables just like in the dining room. Impressed by the elegance of it all, Jack felt slightly disappointed that dinner was not held in here.

"It's beautiful," he remarked.

Suddenly, Ashi snaked her arms around his neck. Gazing at him sensually, she purred, "It's not the only thing…" Before he could respond with his own compliment, she shut him up by closing the distance between them. His suspicions were confirmed as she passionately kissed him.

Their make-out session was enjoyable at first, but then it started to feel off. Ashi was more aggressive than usual, and was acting like she wanted him to match that. She ran her right leg along his body, while moving his hand to her butt. But the biggest thing he noticed was that Ashi… tasted different. Although they appeared to be, these were not the lips he had grown so familiar with.

Jack stopped the kiss, carefully prying her off of him. "Ashi, are you… feeling well?" he asked hesitantly.

Her eyes widened, then fell back into their sensual stare, "As a matter of fact, no. Whenever I'm around you, I just can't keep my head straight. When we're together, nothing else matters but you and I. You do things to me, that I simply can't put into words; so, let's let our bodies do the talking…" Ashi caressed his face, then moved in for another kiss.

But Jack only got more confused, pushing her away more decidedly this time. "Wait, seriously. You're acting really different… are you sure everything's okay?" he looked genuinely concerned by her behavior.

"Ashi" was now starting to sweat, "J-Jack, don't be ridiculous! It's _me_ , your _girlfriend_! I'm the same Ashi you came here with, why would I be anyone else?" she laughed nervously. "Now, where were we?" she puckered her lips, moving in to kiss him again, but met the tip of his index finger instead.

Jack looked her dead in the eyes, a serious expression on his face. They stared at each other for a good five seconds, until he finally spoke up, "You… you're not Ashi."

The imposter gulped, "Wh-What are you talking about? Of course, I am! Jack, what's the matter with you? It's _me_! Do you even know your own girlfriend?" she accused, backing away from Jack slowly.

He followed after her, "Oh, I do. And that is precisely how I know she isn't _you_." Not-Ashi stumbled a bit after backing into a few chairs, Jack's slow pursuit was driving her around the room.

Finally, she was backed into one of the tables, trapping herself. Jack forcibly grabbed her wrist, causing her to remark seductively, "Ohh, where was this two minutes ago?"

But he wasn't having it anymore, "Where is Ashi?"

She shot him another sensual stare, "Why, I'm right here, and I'm all yours~" but he rejected the advance.

"Enough! I know who you are, you're her sister, Aki!"

Now that the jig was up, Aki decided to try a different strategy; "Oopsie, looks like you caught me! Well, now that this cat's outta the bag, how about taking it home with you instead? I promise you'll like her more than the one you started it," she purred, fluttering her eyelashes.

Jack released her wrist, "Er, what?" the metaphor had sailed right over his head.

"What I'm saying is that you should ditch _ashy_ and get with the more talented and interesting sister, who's clearly into you," she explained, running her finger along his chest.

He slapped her hand away, "You think I would turn my back on Ashi just like that? _You_ might be quick to forsake those you care about, but I would never betray her. Now enough foolishness, tell me where she is!"

Aki shrugged and turned away at his demand, "Sorry, I don't know where she ran off to; she probably disappeared forever, so you should just settle with me."

Jack grabbed her wrist again, even harder this time, "Liar! If you're not going to tell me, then perhaps you'll answer to your Mother? How would she feel about what you're doing, I wonder?"

But Aki scoffed at his threat, "You think I'm still afraid of my Mother like the rest of them? HA! _That_ ship sailed a looong time ago, buddy."

Jack sneered at her, trying to think of another angle. "Hmm, then maybe I should tell your Father instead? I bet he'd _love_ to hear about this…"

Again though, Jack's attempt at interrogation only made her laugh, "You just don't get it, do you? I'm not tethered to my parents like the rest of them, I'm not just riding off of their success. I went off into the world and made a name for myself; I got out, and now I answer to no one! Not you, not my Mother, not even 'the great and powerful AKu'!"

The mention of his nemesis completely threw him off; "AKu? What does he have to do with anything?" Jack questioned.

Aki raised an eyebrow, "Are you kidding? You mean you don't know that…" suddenly, a wicked smile graced her face, "Ohhh, I see what's going on here… She didn't tell you, did she?"

Now Jack's eyebrow went up, "Tell me what?" he asked cautiously.

"About our Father, I'm surprised she managed to keep it from you for this long; she must be a better liar than she lets on…" she was thinking out loud at this point, but Jack was fed up with this game.

"What!? What about your Father, who _is_ he!?" Jack demanded.

Aki yelled back, "AKu!"

Jack stopped dead. The name echoed over and over again in his head, as if it had been playing on repeat this whole time and he was just now catching it. He dropped Aki's wrist, backing up as he lost his balance. Jack felt like he was about to throw up, supporting himself on another table; his hands were sweaty and shaking, and his vision blurred around the edges.

Just then, the ballroom doors swung open, and the real Ashi came charging through. "Aki, step away from my…" her furious expression changed to concern when she saw Jack hunched over, "Jack, are you…" she trailed off when he looked up at her, a kind of sadness in his eyes he'd never shown before.

"Ashi, you…" barely able to speak, he pushed off from the table he was leaning on and quickly fled the ballroom.

Ashi called after him to no avail, then turned to her wily sister, remembering her anger; "See what you did!? What did you think you were going to accomplish!?" she scolded.

Aki gave a smug look, "Oh, but that wasn't _my_ doing. Turns out I'm not the only one that tried to keep the truth from him. But unfortunately for you, now we're both busted." Ashi was confused for a moment, until she remembered the thing she was always afraid to tell him, afraid how he would react. But now her fears were realized, and Jack knew the truth about her Father.

Ashi held the sides of her head in panic, unsure what to do about this. But Aki was still standing there, a prime target for venting her frustration, as well as the source of it. So, she confronted her sister; "I don't understand, why would you try so hard to steal my boyfriend? I'm your own sister, your _family_! Doesn't that mean anything to you!?" Ashi desperately begged for an answer.

"You don't get it, none of you do; _this_ is the way of things in our family. If I didn't take him from you, someone else would. You were going to lose him inevitably," Aki explained flatly as she slicked back her hair, which popped back up into its normal look.

Ashi shook her head, "No, that's _your_ way. It's pretty obvious from your shallow music that relationships mean very little to you, but don't lump the rest of us in with that. I'm not like that, _Jack's_ not like that; he and I genuinely care about each other. I'm sorry you don't know what that's like…"

With that, Ashi stormed off, leaving Aki alone with her thoughts.

Now she had to clear things up with Jack, assuming he even wanted to see her anymore. Desperately, she searched the entire country club, starting with where she had been, then everywhere else.

Ashi finally found him up on the balcony, leaning on the railing while looking up at the night sky. Quietly, she pushed open the glass door, stepping out into the cold autumn air. The stars were clear as day overhead, reminding Ashi of her time with Jack. A chilling breeze made her shiver, and she rubbed her arms to warm herself up.

Jack still hadn't reacted to her presence. Ashi softly called to him, "Jack?"

Without turning, he spoke in a dull tone, "Why? Why did you keep this from me for so long? I've been honest with you from the start, I just… don't get it."

Ashi looked down shamefully, "Jack, I… I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to find out this way…"

Jack whipped around to face her, "Could've fooled me, seems like you didn't want me to find out at all!" he snapped.

"I know, I know! I should've told you as soon as we met, this whole thing could've been avoided," Ashi moved to the railing herself, looking somberly to the ground below, "But that's just it, would we even be here now if you knew back then? Would you have given me a chance if you knew who I was?" The question made Jack's gaze soften, and he watched Ashi keep hers down.

She continued, "When we first met, and you told me about your past, I felt so guilty about what my Father had done. Instead of telling you the truth though, I bailed; I was so certain you would reject me if I told you. But I guess fate had other plans, and you showed up to save me from those thugs. I couldn't just turn you away again after that. Okay, so I could've told you about it before now, I admit. But you just kept bringing up how much you hated AKu, and it only made me more afraid that you would end up hating me, too."

Jack had moved back to leaning on the rail, right up next to Ashi as she confessed her feelings. "Although, I couldn't blame you if you hate me _now_. I've lied to you for so long, you must think I'm awful…" Ashi turned away with her head hung low, feeling like she didn't even deserve to look at him anymore.

Jack let out a deep sigh, "You know, in hindsight, I should've figured it out by now. I suspected there was something questionable about you Father you weren't telling me. I just never thought it would be something of this… magnitude," he put a hand on his forehead, the revelation still sinking in.

Shaking it off again, he placed his hands down firmly on the railing, "But… while I'm not pleased that you kept this secret from me, this doesn't change a thing." Ashi looked up again, casting a side glance at him as he continued, "I know I've said before that the children should not be blamed for the sins of the Father, and I haven't changed my mind about that. AKu may have done terrible things, to me and many other people, but none of that reflects on you."

Jack turned to address her directly, "Ashi, I don't care who your family is, I care about _you_. We've already been through so much together, I'm not about to turn my back on all that. Maybe I would've felt differently about it when we first met, but that's all in the past now. Frankly, I have no regrets about anything that has happened since that day." They had been inching closer to each other as Jack spoke, finally pressing up against each other as they leaned on the balcony railing, "I… I'm happy when I'm with you, that's all that matters to me now. Whatever happens, we'll stick it out just like always. Together," Jack took hold of Ashi's hand, and they gazed at each other. This time, he had no doubts this was actually her.

Ashi placed her head on his shoulder, touching their interlocked hands with her opposite one. "Together," she said out loud, reassuring herself. They stood there on the balcony, enjoying the view and each other's company; Ashi hardly noticed the cold anymore.

After a brief silence, Jack spoke up again, "So, this whole situation got me thinking; you remember that picture you drew, of 'The Samurai's girlfriend'?"

Ashi chuckled, "Of course, I don't think I'm ever going to live that down," she joked.

Jack laughed, "I'm not holding it against you, you know. Anyway, I think I've figured a backstory for her. Would you like to hear it?"

She put a finger to her chin, acting like she was in deep thought, finally shrugging nonchalantly. "Why not? Go ahead," she affirmed.

Clearing his throat, Jack started; "Well, she was one of seven identical daughters, raised from birth to be deadly assassins. They were brought up by their Mother, who was the leader of a fanatical cult that worshipped the evil demon. In his name, the daughters were tasked with eliminating the Samurai, it being their only purpose in life. They ambushed him, and although he was seriously wounded, he managed to defeat the daughters. Only one of them remained, and after being forced to work together the Samurai, she learned that everything she had been taught from birth about good and evil was wrong. She ends up saving the Samurai from taking his own life, and the two of them set off to find his magic sword, and defeat the evil demon once and for all."

"Shit, did you seriously come up with all that just now? That's pretty good," Ashi remarked, impressed.

Jack scratched his temple, "For the most part. Although, I'd been mulling over a variation of this idea for a few days now, so I guess it wasn't _all_ on the fly," he admitted sheepishly.

Ashi giggled, "Well, I like it! But tell me, is she actually related to the demon at all, or does she just worship him?"

Jack thought about it, "Yes, the Samurai doesn't know she's his actual daughter, and neither does she, in fact. Her Mother never told her the truth." Ashi laughed to herself at the accuracy of her counterpart's backstory, right down to her Mother lying about their Father.

"I like it, a lot. You definitely saved me the trouble of coming up with a backstory myself," she nudged him playfully, and they both had a good laugh, unaware that someone had been watching them from inside.

Jack spoke up again, "Hey, you get any dessert, did you? I think there's still food left, you want to go down and get something?" he offered.

Ashi smiled, "That sounds good, we should probably head back to the table anyway. Mother's probably going to be suspicious since we've been gone so long." They stopped to kiss for a moment, then headed back inside, still holding hands.

/

Thanksgiving dinner had drawn to a close. The club servers were cleaning off the tables, removing used plates and leftover food.

Ashi's family was gathered in the lobby, everyone saying their goodbyes as they parted ways. All but one of her sisters gave a sincere farewell, expressing their pleasure in having met Jack. Even Mother was pleasant (well, for her) in her departure, citing that Jack was welcome to come next year as well, something she had never suggested to anyone her sisters brought to the occasion.

Most of them had left first, leaving Jack and Ashi waiting for the taxi they had just called to take them back to the train station; they had a long trip back to the hotel, and an even longer one back to Burlington tomorrow morning. As they sat there on the couch in the lobby, the last remaining sister approached them.

Warily, they looked at Aki as she tried her best not to look them in the eyes, "Hey, Ashi. Do you think I could talk to you for a moment… for real, this time?"

Jack sat up, about to tell her off, but Ashi gently pushed him back down by his shoulder. "It's okay. If she pulls anything this time, I'll be expecting it," she assured him.

Jack nodded, "Okay, then I'll give you two your space. I'm going to wait for the taxi, come outside when you're done," he kissed her on the cheek, and cast a quick glare to Aki as he walked out.

Ashi stood up, "Alright, what is it?" she asked her sister, less than enthused to be talking to her again.

Aki looked at her for a moment, then let out a deep sigh; "Look… I'm sorry, alright? It was really shitty of me to do that to you, sister or not; you don't deserve to be treated like that," she crossed her arms, looking down as she shook her head.

Ashi's expression softened; the apology exuded sincerity, something she wasn't used to getting from Aki. She looked away in deep thought for a moment, "I'm still mad about it, but considering the outcome of this whole thing, I guess I can forgive you. But only if you give me an honest answer to my question: Why?"

Aki's expression remained vague, a lot like their Mother looked almost all the time, "I said it before, I don't expect you to understand. But, I always thought you were one of the smartest of our sisters, so maybe you will…?" She paused for a moment, "I… I only did what I did because Jack reminded me of Brad. He was… something else; the kind of guy who isn't intimidated by strict parents, or afraid of any kind of commitment. He was different, special, just like Jack… I wanted to feel what it was like… to be with a guy like that again, one that will _really_ love you. It was nice, if only for the moment…" Aki looked down wistfully, trying to hang on to the feeling she was describing as it faded back into her memory.

Ashi gazed at her somberly. She knew exactly what her sister was describing about Jack, which only made her feel sorry for her, having once had it for herself. "Aki," she stepped closer to her sister, "What actually happened to Brad?"

Aki snapped her head up, as if the question flipped a switch on her; "It doesn't matter anymore, now listen to me. Guys like Brad and Jack, the ones that pass "The Test", they're dangerous. Not to us, of course. To Mother. You know as well as I do that she's all about control; Dad, too. Both of them feel threatened by serious relationships, afraid that we'll lose our dependence on them. They'll do anything in their power to alienate us from people who actually care. They did it to me, and you can be sure they'll try and do it to you, too," she warned.

Processing all that she just heard, Ashi didn't know what to think. She asked her sister, "I don't understand, Mother didn't seem to have a problem with Jack. Dinner went off without a hitch."

But Aki shook her head, "I thought the same thing three years ago, but it was all a ruse. She may have seemed okay with Jack, but she was simply bidding her time. 'The Test' isn't over until the challenger has lost; Mother _always_ wins."

Aki clutched Ashi's shoulders desperately, "Don't make the same mistakes I did. No matter what happens, no matter what she tries to pull, stay with Jack. Trust me, you'll be much happier that way…" Aki turned to walk away, but before she could start, Ashi ran up and hugged her from behind. Aki quietly stood there in her embrace, but her shoulders shook slightly, and Ashi could feel a couple drops land on her arm.

Finally, Aki carefully removed her sister's arms, and walked out of the building without another word. Ashi watched sadly as she left, thinking about the latest warning she was given. This was starting to become a regular thing, apparently.

/

Jack's eyes were closed as he splashed water on his face. Grabbing a towel, he wiped off the moisture and stared at himself in the mirror.

It had been a looong day, and he had plenty to think about now that he knew Ashi's secret. His conviction was the same, but he was still coming to terms with the fact her Father was… AKu. Sighing, he stepped out of the bathroom; the tiny desk lamp was the only light still on in their hotel room, and Ashi was already asleep in the queen size bed.

Jack was about to join her, but before he could hop in bed, his cell phone went off. Weird, he thought, who could be calling at this hour? It was well past midnight. No caller ID came up on the screen but against his better judgement, he slid the cursor across the screen to accept the call. Yawning, he squeaked out a hello.

A cold, familiar voice came spoke through the phone, "Hello, Jack. My apologies, did I wake you?" It was Ashi's Mother.

Dumbfounded, he responded, "Wha… how did you get this number? Did Ashi give it to you?"

"No, she didn't, nor does she know I'm speaking to you like this. I'd appreciate it if you kept it that way," she suggested, implying a threat.

"You didn't answer my question: How did you get my number?" he asked again, more asserting this time.

Ashi's Mother was unfazed, "Let's just say I have my ways; just like my ex-husband, whom I understand you just found out about."

Jack's eyes widened, "How did you…"

But she cut him off, "Enough questions, just listen…" Reluctantly, he shut his mouth and waited for her to continue.

"I know who you are, Samurai, and I know about your extensive history with my ex-husband. You and he have been enemies for most of your life, correct?" Well, she wasn't wrong. "I want you to know that I despise him just as much as you do, and I respect how you've challenged him for a so long," she praised dryly, leaving Jack at a loss for how to respond. "But you slipped up, and got yourself caught. The truth is, I didn't need you to tell me anything about yourself at dinner, I already knew everything. Your parents, your arrest, all of it. But your relationship with Ashi was certainly news to me…" he didn't like where this was going.

"I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you: I'm not going to make any attempts to use my daughter against you. However, I cannot say the same for AKu…" Ashi's Mother paused for a moment, giving Jack a moment to process everything, "Don't worry, he doesn't know about you and Ashi, not yet. But he'll find out; he has eyes and ears everywhere, as I'm sure you've picked up on." Unfortunately, he had.

"Here's my advice: Don't fight. I know you must have a new sense of purpose, now that Ashi is there to inspire you. But this is a folly; to oppose AKu means certain destruction. Even you couldn't avoid it forever. He's going to try to push you two apart, and pushing back will only make it worse. For both of you," she warned.

Jack scowled at the Mother's threat. "So, what? I'm supposed to just sit back and do nothing? Just let her Father ruin our relationship?" he asked incredulously.

"Precisely. Like it or not, AKu always gets his way. As much as I hate him, his side is the winning one. And I _hate_ to lose," she proclaimed. "Anyway, that's all I have to say. Enjoy it while you can, Jack," he was about to interject again, until she cut him off a final time; "Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving." With that, the line went dead, and the dial tone came back.

Hanging up, Jack stared at his phone before placing it back on the table. He stood there, his mind now racing even more than before. Walking over to his side of the bed, he watched Ashi sleep peacefully in the darkness of the hotel room.

Jack let out a deep sigh, slipping under the covers next to Ashi, and shut off the light from the desk lamp.

—END CHAPTER 12—

/


	14. Jack and Ashi's Christmas Vacation

—CHAPTER 13—

"Aw come on, laddie! Yer pullin' me leg!"

"Nope, it's the truth."

"Get outta here!"

"I'm serious."

" _Really_!?"

" _Really_."

Scotsman fell back against the booth, holding his forehead in disbelief. There was a long pause as he took a deep breath, his eyes drifting from down at his food, to out the window on his right, then to the TV sets above the bar area, finally looking directly at Jack.

"WHAT!?" Scotsman shouted out of nowhere, startling Jack and most of the diner. He was back to leaning over the table, "Ye mean to tell me that Ashi, the tough as nails lassie ye been sweet on fer months now, is literally cut from the baw'a yer worst enemy?"

Still rather frazzled, Jack responded, "…Yes?"

After another brief pause, his friend burst into a fit of raucous laughter. People were starting to stare as Scotsman pounded his fist on the table, causing everything on it to vibrate and shuffle around. Jack crossed his arms, and sat back into the booth with a scowl; just going to let him tire himself out, Jack thought.

Scotsman laughed for a little over a minute, losing steam gradually as he went on. He finally fizzled out, coughing a few times from laughing so hard. Still out of breath, he wiped a tear from his eye, "Hoo… that was _too_ good… I just wish I could see the look on that big oaf's face when he finds out about this. You shagged AKu's daughter!"

Jack sat up quickly, hushing his friend, "Be quiet! Must you shout my personal affairs?" Scotsman recoiled into his seat, acknowledging the mistake he had made. Jack sat a few moments after, speaking relaxed but firm, "If you aren't discrete, he _will_ find out about this. Besides, we… haven't actually had… sex… yet. So, it's not true… either." The firmness in his voice had faded, replaced by a meek neutrality.

Scotsman gawked at his friend, "Well, what are ya waitin' for? She's probably cravin' it by now! Women like to get off too, you know. Besides, we both know the two'a ya are crazy about each other by now. Not to mention that screwin' his daughter is a great way to stick it to you-know-who; what's stoppin'a ya, laddie?"

Hunched over, Jack retorted, "Look, we just haven't… it just hav— it just hasn't happened yet. I mean, we've gotten… intimate, of course. But we haven't done anything more than kissing… and fondling… to be quite honest, I've yet to see her _completely_ naked."

More gawking from Scotsman, "Wha— What's wrong with you, why ya have to be such a prude? I could understand it when ye were just startin' out, but come on!" he scolded, as Jack refused to meet his eyes, "Have ya even _seen_ a naked woman? _Ever_?"

Jack crossed his arms defensively, "Of course I have!" a brief pause, " _Three_ times."

Scotsman stared at Jack, then shook his head, "Fine, whatever, do what feels right t' ya. It's yer life," his relenting tone shifted to a more serious one, "Anyway, as hilarious as this is, ya could be puttin' yerself in some serious danger, Jack. I mean, sure, no Father is thrilled to know some scoundrel is messin' around with his little girl, but this is AKu we're talkin' about; he ain't just gonna let this slide, _especially_ for you."

Jack looked out the window with a sigh, "I know, I worry what he will do when he finds out. Not just for myself, for Ashi. From what she's told me, AKu is not exactly the ideal Father figure."

Scotsman scoffed, "HA! That's probably an understatement! In fact, I'm surprised Ashi turned out the way she did, bein' brought up by that sleaze. Sure is lucky fer ya, eh? Or unlucky, dependin' on how ye look at it," he mused, crossing his arms. "Speakin'a Ashi, where is the lassie? I rarely see the two'a apart anymore."

Jack lightened up a bit, thinking of his time with Ashi, "She had an appointment, but she's going to meet us here. I offered to pick her up, but she said it wasn't a far walk from the doctor's," he rested his chin in his hand as he spoke.

Scotsman raised an eyebrow, "Doctor? Is she sick or somethin'?"

But Jack waved his hands dismissively, "No, just a regular checkup with the…" he paused, "gynecologist," a hint of red graced his face as Scotsman grinned.

"Ohh, I see! She's makin' sure yer clear fer landin'! AHHAHAHAHA!" Jack rolled his eyes at his friend, who was laughing far too hard at his own joke.

Once he calmed down, Scotsman got serious again, "All joking aside, ya really do need to be on yer guard. Not only does dating Ashi put ya back on his shit list, but I get the feelin' that AKu's cookin' up somethin'. Somethin' _big_. I don't know what, an' I don't know when, but I've been keepin' tabs on the Chief down at the precinct, an' he's always gettin' these discreet memos from a 'classified source'", he said mockingly as he made air quotes with his fingers, then brought his fists down on the table, "It's gotta be AKu, or at least one'a his mouthpieces."

Jack was listening intently. Deep down inside, his righteous passion still burned, even after years of being beaten down by misfortune and suffering. News that AKu had a grand scheme in the works piqued his interest, but he wasn't about to jump into action again. Protecting Ashi was now his priority; if anything, he was going on the defensive.

Just then, Jack noticed a familiar head of hair pass below him from beyond the window. "She's here," he said with pleasant surprise.

Scotsman threw up his hands and started to leave the booth, "Well, it's time fer me to be headin' out then. I'd rather not be caught up in the impendin' sexual tension!" Jack blushed profusely at the remark, scowling at his friend.

"Aw lighten up, laddie! Just keep yer wits about ya and everything will go the way it's supposed to!" Pulling out his wallet as he stood up, "And that's more than just sex advice, that there is a life lesson!" Scotsman placed a twenty on the table, enough to cover his sandwich and coffee, plus tip, "As always, keep the change."

Jack smiled sheepishly, "Thank you, friend. Your wise advice is appreciated as well," he said sarcastically, and Scotsman chuckled.

"Aye, what would ya do without me?"

Ashi then walked over to the table, "Ah, found you," as she stepped around Scotsman to greet her boyfriend, who had gotten up from the booth to kiss her hello.

Scotsman put his hands on his hips, "An' what am I, chopped liver!?" he playfully shouted at Ashi.

She gave him a curt look, "Liver, huh? Don't you mean sheep stomach?" she teased, and he slapped her on the back with a laugh.

"Ye know it, lassie!" he said, putting an arm over her shoulder.

Scotsman then glanced at his wristwatch, "Welp, it's about that time." Jack and Ashi sat in the booth as he started to leave, "Ye two kiddies play nice, be sure to use the 'change' I left ya!" he laughed as he walked out. Curious, Jack picked up the twenty to find a condom lying there underneath. He stared at it with a scowl, blushing intensely as Ashi snickered.

"Well, looks like you two had a colorful conversation while I was gone," Ashi mused, causing Jack to shake his head.

"Something like that, although this was the only color that came up," he remarked, pointing at his rosy cheeks, and she laughed again.

The waitress came over, noticing the new patron sitting where the other one was, "What happened to the loud ginger guy? Well, whatever; would you like a menu, sweetheart?" she offered Ashi, who accepted it graciously.

Opening the laminated booklet up to the lunch menu, she carefully scanned the pages muttering, "God, I'm _starving_."

Jack watched Ashi nervously as she perused the food selection, then glanced down at the condom sitting there on the table. Ashi was entirely focused on deciding what she wanted, "I'm at that point of hunger where everything looks amazing, but I think I'm in the mood for chicken." She looked up at Jack, "What did you eat?"

Her question abruptly pulled him out of his concentration, prompting an awkward response; "I had a sex— SANDWICH… T-The fish filet sandwich, yes!" he stammered, resting his chin on his hand with an awkward smile. His other hand quickly snatched the condom on the table, stuffing it in his pocket.

Ashi looked at him wide-eyed over the open menu, "You, uh… Somethin' on your mind, Jack?" she asked uncertainly.

Unable to dodge the topic after that Freudian slip, Jack looked at her guiltily as he started, "Ashi, there's something I have to… confess to you," he said, putting his arms down on the table.

Ashi took one last look at the menu, finalizing her decision, before closing and laying it down in front of her. Joining her hands and putting them on top of the menu, Ashi gave Jack her full attention; "Okay, I'm listening," she said, not really sure what to expect.

Jack cleared his throat, "Well, we're at a certain point in our relationship where… things are… things tend to become, 'intimate'. Now, we've discussed this before, albeit briefly. Obviously, I don't, you know… expect anything of you, and I assume you feel the same of me. But I need to make it clear to you that… well… I've never gone 'all the way' with anyone before. What I'm trying to say is that I'm… a virgin."

Right as he was saying the word "virgin", the waitress approached the table, stopping herself from speaking to look oddly at Jack, who shriveled in his seat. "…Are you ready to order, Miss?" she said carefully as she pulled her gaze away from Jack to Ashi, who had been holding in laughter for a while now.

"Yes, I would like the grilled chicken Caesar wrap, fries on the side, please," Ashi ordered.

The waitress jotted it down on her little notepad, "Anything to drink, hon?"

Ashi thought for a moment, "Uh, water's fine, thanks."

"How 'bout you, sweetie? Want me to bring you another glass?" she asked Jack in a gentle, almost patronizing tone. He nodded meekly, barely looking at her, then she closed the notepad and picked up the menu in front of Ashi. "Alright, I'll put the order in for ya, then I'll be back with your drinks." Jack and Ashi thanked the waitress, the latter much more confident.

Ashi then turned to Jack, an impish look on her face; "Now, where were we… You were saying, Jack?" she purred, teasingly.

Jack's blush wasn't going away anytime soon, and he struggled to regain his composure. "I w-was saying that I'm… a virgin." He just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

"Scotsman was right, you are a prude," Ashi laughed, which didn't make Jack feel any better; "Jack, it doesn't matter to me if you've had sex before or not. To tell you the truth, I haven't lost my virginity yet, either. Everybody acts like losing it is such a big deal, but I'd much rather have a real connection with my partner; that's something we've been working on, don't you think that's more fulfilling?" she asked, offering her hand to him.

Jack's frown became a soft smile, as he met Ashi's hand halfway across the table. "I do," he answered confidently.

"Exactly. Don't listen to Scotsman about that stuff, listen to your gut. If it feels right for you, then go for it. I'm ready when you are," stated Ashi, beaming at him.

The waitress then came back with two glasses of ice water, placing them down and reassuring Ashi, "Food's gonna be ready in a few minutes, hon," with a pleasant smile. She thanked the waitress before taking a sip of the beverage, then casting a naughty glance in Jack's direction.

Suddenly, Jack felt his foot being nudged by Ashi's under the table. She balanced her elbows on the table, and her chin on her hands; "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to encourage you…" she winked.

Taking a sip of water for his dry mouth, Jack's blush was back more than ever, but not out of embarrassment this time.

/

Jack always thought of himself as someone with an indominable spirit. It was somewhat neutered after his arrest, but he had been carefully restoring it with Ashi's help. Only now, it seemed like she was putting his willpower to the test.

As she had promised, Ashi was doing her best to "encourage" him, which translated into numerous attempts to stoke his carnal desire. Every so often, he would be startled by one of her affecting touches.

Ashi started small, doing things like playing with his hair, massaging his shoulders, and caressing his leg.

A week later, she turned it up a notch. Her hand on his leg would work its way up his thigh slowly, causing his whole body to shiver; shoulder massages were now accompanied by the sensation of her blowing in his ear; anytime his back turned was an opportunity for her to cop a feel, which she eagerly took. Jack started keeping tabs on Ashi whenever he had to bend over around her.

Ashi's feisty behavior was slowly witling down Jack's celibate mindset, and his impure urges were becoming difficult to suppress. On the bright side, he became an expert at the old "tuck it under the belt" trick. The two of them were locked in a subtle conflict, and Jack was close to surrender.

It was now late into December, and the couple had been working hard to finance their new home. They still had a long way to go, but both of them were as determined as ever, and the holiday season brought an influx of new jobs for them to undertake. Together, they had enough so far to cover about half the down payment. Moving into that property was the first step of their business venture, and it was starting to become a reality.

But with only three days left until Christmas, Jack and Ashi spent their day off buying gifts for each other at the mall. Instead of picking out their own gifts like their one-month anniversary, they planned to buy each other's gift this time; both of them were much more confident in their ability to buy for the other. After grabbing a bite at the food court, they went their separate ways, planning to meet up again once they were both finished.

Jack knew exactly what he was going to buy. He also knew that he was finally giving in to Ashi's temptations, and his own growing lust. But his first challenge was buying the item, a specific article of clothing being sold at a popular women's clothing store. Going in there by himself was daunting, something he never thought he'd have to do. For Ashi's sake, he gathered up his nerve and went inside. It took him ten minutes to find the right item; four to actually pick one out, and six to finally walk up to the counter and purchase it.

Meanwhile, Ashi wasn't as decisive on what to buy for Jack. She'd spent the last few weeks teasing Jack, trying to coax him into intimacy. Initially, she planned to use this opportunity to press the issue even further; it was fun getting a rise out of him (literally), and she herself was starting to pine for it. But Jack was a sensitive guy, she didn't want to push too hard and make him uncomfortable. Using his gift to drop another hint may be taking it too far, she thought. As she was walking, a mannequin standing in one of the department store windows caught her eye. The long white robe it was dressed in reminded her of Jack, or rather, his Samurai counterpart. If she could find the right shoes, she was all set.

Finally, they completed their respective shopping, reconvening at the west mall entrance where they were parked. Even though Jack had shopped at "Spring's Illusion", he borrowed a plastic bag from the same department store Ashi bought her gift from; she, on the other hand, had turned her bag inside out so the store logo was hidden. Mounting Jack's motorcycle, they made it back home by two in the afternoon.

With all of the time they had left in the day, they decided to take Jack's old acquaintance up on his offer. Xavier Torrence was a rather peculiar resident of Burlington. A brilliant but eccentric engineer, Xavier went by a pseudonym of his own, ExTor. He and Jack first met back when Jack was still a beat cop. He and Scotsman had set out to dissolve the gang known as the "Ultra Boys", who were carving a warpath through the neighborhood with unique weapons. After being overpowered by the thugs, ExTor came to their aid, citing that the gang's weapons were his creations. Apparently, a "wealthy entrepreneur" had offered him a grant in exchange for the creation of "security devices". Once they were completed, AKu himself visited the engineer's workshop, along with eight uniformed security personnel. Once they were armed and ready, AKu ordered them to try out their new "security methods" on the surrounding area. The Ultra Boys totaled everything in the lab, and then moved on to cause chaos elsewhere. Scorned, ExTor supplied the cop duo with vital knowledge of the devices' failsafe mechanisms, imploring them to destroy the weapons. Jack and Scotsman were finally able to overcome the group, disarming and apprehending them.

Scotsman had apparently been keeping in touch with the engineer, as he relayed the information to Jack that ExTor could use a hand around his workshop. He offered to pay by the hour, for as long as they wanted, so Jack and Ashi worked from when they got there at two thirty until ten at night. The labor mostly involved moving boxes of parts around, organizing them, and cleaning some of the machines.

When the shift was over, the couple had already eaten dinner; past halfway through the shift, ExTor gave them a paid dinner break, and they brought him back food upon returning. So, they headed home right from the job, taking the scenic route to enjoy the holiday decorations.

Now it was half past eleven, Jack was sitting on the couch in only a plain white tee and his boxers. He was watching a random episode of the show about a chemistry teacher who makes crystal meth to finance his cancer treatment, but ends up becoming caught up in his new role as a kingpin; Jack wondered how different his old job's operation would have been if this man was running it instead, and if they still would have gotten caught like they did.

But as he was watching, a curvaceous silhouette eclipsed his view, and he looked up to see Ashi looking at him seductively. She wore a loose tee with shoulder straps, and a tight pair of leggings that were molded perfectively to the shape of her hips and legs.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked coyly, slightly pressing her chest together with her arms.

Jack gulped, gesturing to his left, "Not at all…" he managed to say without err.

Ashi, instead of turning to her right, turned around and promptly sat right on Jack's open lap. A shock went through his entire body when he felt her weight on him. She sat back against his chest as he fought the urge to hyperventilate.

The poking at Ashi's behind told her that Jack was enjoying it, but she still wanted to be sure she wasn't pushing any boundaries; "Jack, is this okay with you?" she purred.

It took him a second to gather his reply, but he finally retorted, "More than okay…" In one quick motion, he muted the TV with the remote in his hand, tossed it onto the coffee table, and snaked his arms around Ashi's waist.

She let out a tiny gasp when Jack's bearded face was against her shoulders. He kept his face in the crook of her neck, stopping for a moment to appreciate the lingering aroma of her shower, then surprising her further with tiny kisses along her shoulders and the base of her neck. Ashi was now the one shivering, taken completely off guard by Jack's enthusiasm.

Jack was feeling especially bold after buying Ashi's Christmas gift, and decided that he really had no further reason to wait besides wanting their first time to be part of it. But Ashi had been sending strong signals for a while now, and for once he was ready, willing, and able to answer the call.

Ashi bit her lip at the sensation as Jack moved in from her shoulder, up her neck slowly, finally kissing behind her ear. She could hear his shallow breathing, unable to pry his lips away from her skin long enough to catch his breath. Not to be outdone by Jack's lust, Ashi brought her legs around to the left, to look him straight in the eyes, inviting him in for a kiss. He took the bait, pulling his head out of the nape of her neck, and she swiveled all the way around so that she was straddling him. She snaked her arms around his neck, as his hands began to explore her body, moving across her skin sensually. While his attention was focused on the make out, Jack's hands acted of their own volition, sliding underneath Ashi's shirt and discovering her bra strap. At the same time, Ashi herself was starting to tug at Jack's tee, wanting to put her hands on his bare chest; Jack obliged, breaking away from her to quickly pull his shirt over his head.

Right when he got his arms up and the shirt over his face, his cell phone on the coffee table in front of him went off, stopping their passion dead in its tracks. With a sigh, Jack spoke through his shirt, "Who is it?"

Reaching for his phone behind her, Ashi read off the name on the screen; "It's… your Mother," she replied, causing him to quickly pull the shirt off his head and snatch the phone.

"So late?" he mused, accepting the call, "Mother! I'm surprised to hear from you so late… W-What?... He is!?... What happened!?… I-Is he going to be okay?... When?... Then I'll come tomorrow instead, we were coming down there anyway…"

Ashi dismounted Jack and sat to his left, as he listened with a look of concern. She and Jack had planned to take another trip down to Lancaster, to spend Christmas and the Eve with his parents like Jack did every year. But by the sound of their conversation, those plans might have fallen through.

"No, it's no trouble. I can leave first thing in the morning… Yes! I need to make sure he's okay!... Of course, I trust the doctors, but what if… I know, but… okay… okay... Alright, well, let me know if anything happens. I'll check in with you tomorrow… I love you, too… goodnight," he finished quietly, putting his phone down with a blank look.

Ashi turned to Jack, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Jack, is everything okay?" He didn't answer at first, so she asked again, snapping him out of his daze.

"Uhh… Well, not exactly. It seems my Father had a heart attack earlier today, and now he needs some kind of… operation. He'll be in the hospital for the next two days until then," he stated blankly.

Her hands covered her mouth, "Jack, that's awful! I'm so sorry… are you okay?

Jack was frozen still as he sat there with his hands on his legs, head tilted downward slightly, "I'm… fine. Just like my Father is going to be!" he turned to Ashi exuberantly, surprising her. "Yep, in a few days, he'll be out of that hospital and everything will be fine!" Jack clapped his hands and rubbed his hands triumphantly, sitting there with an incredibly forced smile.

With trepidation, Ashi spoke up again, "You're taking this a lot… better than I thought you would. A-Are we still going back to Penn to see them? We could bring him flowers, or…"

But Jack cut her off, "Oh, nononono; Mother says there's no need to make the trip anymore, and we should just have Christmas here, which I think is a marvelous idea!"

Jack got up quickly, moving around the coffee table and past the TV. He was heading towards the hall, but stopped in the middle of the floor and turned back to her; "I mean, sure, I haven't seen them in over a year, since last Christmas I was dealing with the fallout from my arrest, but there's always next year, right?" he added, shrugging with his entire arms.

Bringing her feet back to the floor, Ashi repositioned herself on the couch to respond, "You don't think we should go anyway, make sure he gets through the operation okay?"

Jack waved his hand casually, "No need! Mother says they want me to stay home and relax this Christmas. She says my Father is going to be okay, and doesn't want me to drive all that way."

Ashi leaned forward assertively, "Jack, are you really okay with that? We can still go if that's what you want to do," she said, looking at him straight on. Jack opened his mouth to speak, but only stared at her agape for a moment.

"I'm okay with… doing what my Mother says. She has faith that my Father will recover, and so do I," Jack stood there wearing a festive façade as Ashi stared at him, wide-eyed. "Look," he sighed, "I _am_ worried about my Father, but it's probably best to heed my Mother's advice, and just try to enjoy the holiday."

Ashi squinted, eying him carefully, "Is that what you _really_ think?"

Jack blinked, "…yyyyes."

"You sure?"

"Mhmm."

"Positive?"

"Yes."

" _Really_?"

" _Really_."

"…"

"…"

"Jack…"

"I'm _fine_ , okay!?" he snapped. They both stayed silent for a moment as Jack calmed settled down and Ashi looked disconcertedly.

Eventually, he spoke up again; "I'm… going to get ready for bed," he excused himself, walking down the hall of his apartment towards the bed and bathrooms. Ashi sighed; Jack was obviously bothered by their holiday plans being cancelled, and even more so by the circumstances. Why he wouldn't admit it was beyond her. In the back of her mind, she worried that Jack was ashamed of her, or rather, who she was: A daughter of AKu. It was bad enough when Jack found out, what would his parents—the ones who had endured the brunt of her Father's vengeance, separating them from their own son, and forcing them to live and work in arduous conditions—think of her?

The best she could do right now is be there for him, and try to enjoy the holiday as best they could. With a loud yawn, Ashi picked up the TV remote and unmuted it, looking for something to watch until it was her turn to wash up before bed.

/

The sound of the front door slamming awoke Ashi, and she immediately became aware of two things; it was only eight in the morning, and Jack was nowhere to be seen.

She got up quickly, checking every room in the apartment. Jack's keys were gone, and his drawers looked like they had been rummaged. The knapsack he had by the door was also missing.

It didn't take long for Ashi to piece together what had happened. As she pulled out her phone, she cursed under her breath, "For fuck's sake, Jack…" The phone rang a couple times, and then the other line picked up; "… Hey, it's Ashi. Are you at work yet?... You are? Good, I need a favor, could you give me a lift… Jack is the problem… I'll explain it when you get here; please, we don't have time for this!"

/

The brisk December air stung his face as he sped down the expressway. Although Jack had gotten very little sleep that night—repeated nightmares of his Father saw to that— and gotten up quite early, there was no way he could fall asleep. He wore the green winter coat he got for their one-month, and a large knapsack stuffed with a few sets of clothes.

Jack was still thinking only of his Father. There he was, laid out on the hospital bed, strapped to that machine that beeps with every heartbeat. It would beep in surprisingly long intervals, his Father's strength fading; any minute now, it might give a sustained beep, as the line on the monitor goes flat. And they were waiting another whole day for surgery! What are these doctors thinking!? Mother said to trust them, but what if they are not to be trusted? Maybe _he_ owns that hospital…

A different kind of beeping caught his attention, coming up from behind. Jack glanced in his rearview to see a police cruiser approaching quickly, weaving through vehicles behind him. Was he going that fast?

Wait, no. That cruiser…

Sure enough, it pulled up right next to Jack from the left lane, and the passenger side window rolled down to reveal Ashi glaring at him.

In hindsight, he knew this was coming, but he was too preoccupied with leaving as quickly as possible that morning that he didn't take her into account. At least until the last minute before he left, where he rushed back into their room quick to kiss her on the forehead; she woke up for a bit when he first got up, then fell right back and stayed asleep.

"JACK, WHAT THE HELL!?" Ashi screamed at him over the wind, "THIS IS WHY I ASKED IF YOU WANTED TO GO, TO AVOID SITUATIONS LIKE THIS! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY YES!?" She just looked confused now, but Jack kept his eyes on the road.

"I… I DON'T KNOW, I JUST… I SAID NO BECAUSE I WAS LISTENING TO MY MOTHER TELLING ME I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO, AND I THOUGHT I'D BE OKAY WITH IT, BUT I WASN'T! I WAS UP ALL NIGHT THINKING ABOUT HIM, AND I WOKE UP THIS MORNING ONLY THINKING OF GETTING TO HIM! I'M SORRY I DID THIS TO YOU, I NEVER MEANT TO MAKE YOU WORRY!" he apologized loudly.

"WELL, YOU DID! YOU COULD'VE JUST WOKEN ME UP, I WOULD'VE GOTTEN READY AND GONE WITH YOU!" Ashi yelled back.

Jack wore a guilty expression as he explained, "TO BE HONEST, THAT WAS AN OVERSIGHT! YOU FELL BACK TO SLEEP WHILE I WAS GETTING READY, I DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT ANY LONGER, SO I DIDN'T BOTHER TO WAKE YOU! IT WAS STUPID OF ME, I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT, TOO!"

Leaning on the window frame, Ashi pouted, "GEEZ, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS SUCH A BURDEN TO YOU! ALSO, YOU OWE SCOTSMAN AN APOLOGY FOR HAVING TO CATCH UP TO YOU!"

"DAMN RIGHT, HE DOES!" Scotsman bellowed from in the car, but Jack could easily hear him.

"SORRY, FRIEND! THANKS FOR LOOKING OUT!" Jack called to his friend past Ashi the loudest he could, and Scotsman's nod affirmed that he got the message.

Ashi called to Jack, poking her head out the window "NOW PULL OVER ALREADY, I'M COMING ABOARD!"

He turned to look at her, "Y-YOU ARE!? YOU WANT TO!?"

She turned to show him the luggage on her back as well, "YOU DIDN'T THINK I FOLLOWED YOU JUST TO SEE YOU OFF, DID YOU?" she smirked at him, and he smiled back.

Ashi then retreated back inside the vehicle, and the lights and sirens went off, "Please stop the vehicle, sir!" she spoke in a very official voice over the PA, and Jack could see Scotsman yank the receiver away from her as she laughed. "YA OWE ME BIG TIME FER THIS!" Scotsman looked Jack dead in the eye as he growled into the PA, then slowed down to get behind him.

Jack laughed, and pulled over on the shoulder to his right as the cruiser pulled up behind him. Ashi climbed out of the car window, unable to open the door against the guard rail, and Jack dismounted his bike.

They were now standing perfectly still looking at each other face to face instead of across vehicle lanes. Ashi stepped close so that she had to look up at him slightly, "You stuck by me with my family, I do the same for you. Together, right?"

Jack smiled, "Together."

The couple stood there for a few more moments before Scotsman honked at them, "Can we move this along, please!?"

Ashi turned to speak to Scotsman, "Thanks again! We probably won't see you until after Christmas, so have a good one!"

Jack waved, "Yes, Merry Christmas!"

"Yeah, yeah, happy holidays and all that. Good luck with the folks!" he yelled, as the couple got on Jack's bike. The flashing police lights kept the lane clear, so the pair sped off for another trek back to their hometown.

/

Although they were both dressed warmly, the weather took a frigid turn as they crossed state lines. By the end of their eight-and-a-half-hour journey, snowflakes were starting to fall from the patchy gray sky.

Jack and Ashi rented a room in a nice little hotel, right across from the hospital Jack's Father was staying in, which they walked to once they were settled in. The receptionist directed them to his Father's room, down the hall, up the stairs, and off to the right on the left side of the corridor.

Across from the room, a woman with dark grey hair sat quietly, holding her purse in her lap. Jack approached the woman, who smiled brightly when she noticed him walking over. Jack's Mother got up surprisingly quick, and met her son in an embrace.

His Mother pulled away, "My sweet boy! Didn't I tell you not to come all this way?" she scolded. Jack rubbed the back of his head, "I-I couldn't just take your word for it, Father's health is too important for me to ignore. I was up all night worrying about him," he asserted.

"Well, you certainly were; look at you! How long have you had those bags under your eyes? And you've obviously been neglecting grooming yourself…" she remarked, grabbing a lock of Jack's long hair. Then she unzipped his coat, putting a hand on his stomach, "And look how thin you've gotten! Are you even taking care of yourself? You're not sleeping, you're not shaving, you're not eating; if you keep this up, you'll end up in the hospital just like your Father!"

Jack's face fell, reminded of his Father's condition, and his own guilt, "How is he?" the urgency in his voice reminiscent of a child who couldn't find their parent in the mall.

His Mother's face was solemn, but her gaze was soft, "Your Father is in stable condition right now, but the doctors are prepping him for surgery tomorrow morning. What a great way to spend Christmas…" she trailed off, noticing the young woman who had come in with her son.

Ashi was startled by Jack's Mother's greeting; she was lost in thought, and failed to notice the older woman cross Jack to stand at neck height before her. "I'm sorry, dear, I didn't mean to ignore you. Jack mentioned he would be bringing a guest, but I wasn't expecting you to be so pretty," she remarked, causing Ashi to blush slightly.

"I-It's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Senshi," holding out her hand, "I'm Ashi, Jack's girlfriend."

The woman's eyes lit up, and instead of accepting the handshake, pulled Ashi into an embrace, "That's wonderful, dear! Welcome to the family!" she gushed.

Jack, who was still frozen where he stood, finally snapped out of it, and moved to address the women. "Mother, I'm so sorry I didn't introduce you two; this is…"

"Your _girlfriend_ , who I'm only just hearing about now!" his Mother interrupted, "This is why you need to call more, I want to hear the details of things like this!" His Mother's scolding quickly turned into more gushing, "Ohh, my little man has a woman of his own, you don't know how happy this makes me!" she held the sides of Jack's face affectionately, as he bent down into it so she wouldn't have to reach up too high.

Mother let go of Jack's face, "And I'm sure your Father will be just as pleased with this news when he's all better!" she asserted. But her confidence didn't bolster Jack's at all.

He looked back at his Father's room, "Yes, when he's all better…"

/

Jack lay in the hotel bed, staring up at the ceiling. His mind abuzz with so many conflicting feelings, no way was he falling asleep any time soon.

Not long after they met up with Jack's Mother, the doctor came over to talk to Jack about his Father's condition. As he was told, his Father had suffered a heart attack, and now needed coronary bypass surgery. The operation would begin tomorrow at ten in the morning, and was projected to last well into the afternoon. The doctor assured him that the procedure had a fairly high success-rate, but made it abundantly clear that unforeseen complications could arise, and to be prepared just in case.

Once his explanation was finished, he told Jack and his Mother that they were free to go, and to be back tomorrow before the surgery starts. Jack and Ashi were then invited back to his Mother's house for a home-cooked meal, complete with a showcase of Jack's childhood photos for Ashi, much to Jack's dismay. On the bright side, seeing his Mother and girlfriend getting along so well distracted him from his worries, at least until something else in the house reminded him again. Jack's mood swung back and forth until they left the house, saying goodbye to his Mother until tomorrow.

They were now back in their hotel room, Jack trying to wind down while Ashi made a trip to the ice machine down the hall.

The door opened, she came in carrying a bucket full of ice, and started speaking; "You know, it was nice of your Mother to offer to put us up tonight, but I'm glad we already had a room here. Those guest beds did _not_ look comfortable. I can't believe the complex used to make those mattresses mandatory; how could they even enforce that?" she wondered.

"Although, she did say that the resident committee was really starting to make difference, so that's good," she added, as Jack continued to disregard what she had said. Refusing to be ignored, she placed down the ice bucket gently on the table against the wall on her side, stepped in front of the bed with her back to it, and leapt backwards onto the bed, into the crook of Jack's arm.

He was finally at attention, and said with complete sincerity, "Oh, hello, did you just get back?"

Ashi smirked, "Yup, just now. Hey, do you remember earlier at your parents' house when your Mom was talking about how you're like your Dad in some ways? She said that you both get so focused on something that's troubling you that you neglect other important things. Any of that ring a bell?" she craned her neck to look at him.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "… I remember, what about it? You think I'm neglecting things?" he asked incredulously.

Ashi put a finger to her chin dramatically, "Well, so far, yeah. You wouldn't admit you were upset when you heard about your Father, and lied about not wanting to come see him, you basically ditched me, and now every time I try to talk to you, you're like a brick wall…" she trailed off, turning her head towards Jack's armpit with a grimace, "… Also, you haven't showered since yesterday morning."

Suddenly, a mischievous smile crossed Ashi's face as she sat up from the bed and looked back at him, "In fact, why don't we _both_ take a shower?" she said innocently.

Jack, oblivious to what she was getting at, was mostly just relieved, as he was afraid Ashi was implying that he had been neglecting _her_. He sighed, "You're right, I guess I'll go first," getting up and off of the bed from the right side.

Ashi watched him for a second, then called to him as he was walking to the bathroom, "Can you leave the door unlocked? I may need to grab something from the bathroom while you're showering."

Jack waved a hand without looking, "Will do," as he closed the bathroom door. He had no idea, now all she had to do was wait for the moment to move forward.

Jack stood face to face with his reflection, a visage that looked tired and worn. He hadn't looked this way in a while; not since he and Ashi started dating, at least. He felt like such an idiot for leaving her behind initially, but having her with him now made this whole situation a lot easier. Not that he didn't like seeing his parents—this was the first time in over a year—but given the circumstances…

One by one, Jack had completely disrobed, and turned the shower handle to start the nozzle. It took a few tries, but he finally found the happy median between boiling and freezing, and stepped into the bath tub, closing the shower curtain behind him.

Admittedly, the hot water felt amazing on his skin. Since he last showered, Jack worked in a humid workshop for several hours, woke up sweating multiple times that night, and became hot and flustered when his Mother was showing Ashi old photo albums of him. Now, it felt as though he was washing away everything he had felt in the last couple days, the rollercoaster of emotions that came out of nowhere.

After rinsing his hair for a bit, he grabbed the bar of soap that the hotel provided, having _neglected_ to bring anything else. Getting it out of the plastic was easy, but once he had the actual soap in his hands, the task became much more of a chore.

Then suddenly, the bathroom door creeped open. "Jack? I'm coming in…" Ashi forewarned as she stepped quietly into the bathroom.

Jack was still fighting with the bar of soap, "Bar soap is so annoying…" he muttered, cursing when he dropped it again.

"Having trouble?" Ashi teased, silently slipping out of her clothing, "I brought a bath sponge. Here, let me get it for you…" she coyly suggested. Once she was nude, she grabbed the bath sponge and bottle of soap from her cosmetic case, squirting some of the soap onto the sponge.

Jack heard the click of the bottle cap snapping back on, cuing him in that Ashi was fulfilling his request, "Thank you, I guess that's one more thing I _neglected_ to bring alooOONG!" his gratitude was interrupted when he turned to see a naked Ashi standing behind him in the tub, "W-W-What are you doing, Ashi!?"

She looked at him innocently, "I'm giving you the bath sponge, like you asked. Here, I'll even get a nice lather going for you," as she started to casually knead the soap into the white spongey ball.

Jack stammered, "N-Not that, why are you in here right now!?"

Ashi moved closer to him, causing him to back up, "What, you don't want to share? It would certainly save time if we showered together, don't you think?"

He was backed into the wall now, and Ashi slid her index finger slowly down his torso as he tried to respond, "I-I-I don't see w-why we would n-need to share, we have a-aAAaall night to shower," he shivered when her finger crossed below his waistline.

"You're right, we can take our time with this. So, I thought, why not have a little fun? Just relax, get our minds off things for a bit. Of course, if you don't want to shower with me, I can just go…" Ashi pouted, stepping back into the running water, giving Jack a good look at the moisture glistening off her body.

Jack swallowed, moving off the wall; "N-No, this is-this is fine! We'll just… wash each other," he replied with an attempted sly look of his own.

Ashi's expression turned to a wide grin, "Well then, why don't we get started?" as she gave the bath sponge a light squeeze. She took ahold of Jack's left wrist, and brought his whole arm into the running water for a moment. She then took the bath sponge and gently massaged it into his arm, starting at his wrist and working her way up his forearm, past his elbow, then across his shoulders. She switched hands with the bath sponge, then brought it down his right arm. Once Ashi had gotten to his right hand, Jack used it to gently grab hers with the bath sponge. The gesture caused Ashi to look at Jack, who was looking at her as well. They stared at each other for a moment, before Jack moved in eagerly to kiss her; she reciprocated, and the two of them struggled back and forth for a bit. Jack's left hand started moving down along the right side of her body. His hand reached her hips, and moved around to cup her butt; he wasn't gripping, only resting his hand against the soft skin, caressing it.

But Ashi's right hand reached around, covering Jack's hand he was using to fondle her rear, and pulled away from the lip lock. "Not yet, I've only just begun~" she cooed, bringing her once trapped bath sponge hand to bop his nose, causing him to smirk.

Ashi then brought the bath sponge down to his chest, and started to make small circles all along his torso. She slowed the movement as the bath sponge washed over Jack's ab muscles, and started to bite her lip; his entire torso was hard as steel. Then she realized how low she was getting, about to reach Jack's waistline again. Once she went past it, Ashi looked up at Jack seductively. He met her gaze for a moment, then she suddenly moved past him to lather his back instead, eliciting another chuckle from him.

Jack closed his eyes, in pure bliss at the combined sensation of the water raining down his chest, and Ashi gently scrubbing his back. She was careful to cover every inch of his skin as she kneaded her way down his back, taking _extra_ care when she reached Jack's butt; he noticed Ashi's particular attention to his glutes, and flexed while she was touching it, making her squeak in flustered surprise.

Not long after, she continued her descent to Jack's left leg, circling down his thigh up until the knee. "Lift your leg," she ordered, bending down and poking his ankle. He obeyed, bending his left leg so his foot was reared up behind him, as Ashi cradled it in one hand and lathered it with the other. She then repeated the same process with his right leg, and Jack had picked up his foot right as she got to his knee.

Ashi giggled, crossing back to his front. She looked up at him flirtatiously, "Very good," she purred, spontaneously touching the bath sponge to his groin, "I didn't need to tell you to lift _this_ leg, either." Jack was dumbstruck by the sudden contact, and as she knelt down and began to thoroughly massage the area with the bath sponge, the tingling sensation he felt keeping him tongue-tied. He held his breath while Ashi lingered there for a while, using both hands as she slowly lathered his "private things." Each passing second was painstakingly slow, he could feel her hot breath as she stroked the bath sponge back and forth, the tingling sensation had built up to the point that it was driving him mad.

But before he reached the breaking point, Ashi pulled away and stood up, "Okay, your turn~" she cooed, holding the bath sponge in front of him. Jack looked up at the ceiling in frustration, and then back down to meet Ashi's smug grin; she knew exactly what she had done, the culmination of her weeks of flirtation and teasing. Only now, Jack wasn't simply her victim.

He was her opponent, and it was time to give her a taste of her own medicine.

Taking the bath sponge carefully from her hand, he looked her in the eye to say, "Thank you…" before deftly turning her around and pulling her against him, with his left arm across her waist. Ashi became extremely flustered at the feeling of prodding against her lower backside. He put the bath sponge on her right shoulder, and slowly brought it down the length of her arm. Almost as if on cue, Ashi lifted the arm straight out in front of her as he made his way along it. Just as he did last night, Jack stuck his head in the crook of her neck, nuzzling her with his thick beard; Ashi giggled, being tickled by the facial hair. He then reached across her chest to wash her left arm, which she lifted to meet him halfway, one of the only movements his firm hold on her body allowed; admittedly, the assertiveness he was displaying made her quiver.

Once her arm was covered in suds, he let go and let it fall back to her side, moving to the base of her torso above her waistline. Massaging back and forth with the bath sponge, Jack climbed her impressive abdominals—not as prominent as his, but solid—carefully making his way up to her breasts. He finally grazed the underside of her bust, which startled both of them. Jack stopped dead in his tracks, his confidence was starting to waver under the weight of Ashi's left tit.

But she wasn't about to let him wimp out now; she leaned back so that her head was lined with his, and tilted hers up to his ear to whisper, "What are you waiting for?" Ashi then put her left hand over his carrying the bath sponge, and slowly guided it over the obstacle. Once she let go, Jack had regained his courage, and continued the ascent on his own. He made a figure-eight pattern, going around each breast a couple times, inward to the nipple and then doubling back down, and up the valley between the twin peaks; Ashi made sure to press them together with her arms whenever he passed through. He also fondled her left breast whenever he was lathering the right, eliciting tiny moans from Ashi each time.

After making Ashi's chest absolutely spotless, Jack moved on to her shoulders, finally putting space between them so he could get her back next. he knew where he needed to go, but he would take his time getting there; this was about the journey, after all.

Jack ran the bath sponge over every inch of her back, but not in any particular pattern. He was too focused on simply admiring the shape of her body, taking note of the landscape's subtle curves and bends. Ashi closed her eyes, relishing the sensation of Jack exploring her. As eager as she was, this was all new to her as well; but Ashi refused to show any hesitation, knowing that she and Jack were sharing the experience. Although, he was quite eager to take charge, he must've been more willing than he let on, she thought, smiling to herself.

Just then, she felt the bath sponge pass the small of her back, swerve down the right hip, then loop around under her cheek. Jack was taking a similar approach with her butt as he did with her breasts, going around and on top, in between, and repeat. After he had lathered both cheeks a couple times, he went down between again, only instead of turning to loop around again, he slowly continued descending. Ashi shivered as Jack's hand, separated from her bare womanhood by the bath sponge, slid between her legs; she could see the white sponge stick out from her crotch when she looked down. He repeated the motion a few times, before moving the bath sponge down to her right leg. Jack had now moved next to her, so Ashi lifted her leg out in front of her like she was frozen in a kick line, as he held her by the waist to keep her from falling over. He slowly brought the bath sponge along her thigh, her shin, calf, ankle, and finally the sole of her foot, then back up her leg in the same fashion. Once he past the thigh, he made another stop to her privates, causing her to bite her lip, before crossing to her left leg. She had already dropped the right leg, and kicked up her left without Jack having to switch sides, and he lathered it with the same technique as the other.

With that, he had scrubbed the entirety of her body, and they were both covered head to toe in suds. Jack let go of Ashi's hip and moved back behind her as she dropped her left leg, and turned to look at him. They locked eyes for another eternal moment, before Ashi took Jack's hands. "So, do you feel clean?" she asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

Jack closed his eyes in satisfaction as he replied, "Actually, I feel filthier than ever," causing her to snicker.

Without another word, she pulled him into the running water, and he met her for a kiss as the soap and suds covering their bodies was washed away.

/

Any other morning, the couple would stay in bed for at least another two hours, but today was an exception. Having showered the night before, they left the hotel at a quarter past nine. The hospital was right across from them, but Jack had agreed to give his Mother a ride, so they dropped his bike at her house, and he drove them in his Mother's sedan back to the hospital.

They got there five minutes after ten, the time the doctor said the operation was to begin. But when they arrived, the doctor told them that preparations were almost finished, and the operation would proceed momentarily; Jack's Mother had brought homemade egg sandwiches for the three of them, so they ate their breakfast in the waiting area until then.

Finally, one of the nurses came to get them around ten twenty, and they made their way to the operating room. Jack was starting to feel uneasy again, and it must have been showing on his face, because Ashi took hold of his left hand as they walked, giving him a reassuring look. They sat in the row of chairs lined up across from the operating room door; Jack sat between Ashi on his left and his Mother on his right. Instinctively, he grabbed his Mother's hand with his right, and smiled at her as she beamed back.

"We'll keep you posted if anything changes, but as of now, see you in three to six hours," the doctor clarified, stepping into the room across from them. All they could do now was wait, sitting there, hand in hand, awaiting the fate of their loved one.

Midway into the operation, Jack had dozed off; his entire body was slumped in the chair, his head balanced on the back of it. Meanwhile, Jack's Mother was now sitting to Ashi's left; she had mentioned over dinner last night that she had no clue how to use the smartphone she upgraded to recently, and Ashi offered to help her with it. She herself wasn't very tech savvy, but she knew enough about the device's basic functions to get her started. Ashi was finally starting to understand the stigma of older people not getting technology. But unlike most youths who got frustrated when their elders didn't comprehend things, she saw it as endearing.

Then again, this wasn't _her_ Mother, so maybe that was why; hers would never ask for her help with something like this in the first place, and even if she did, the experience would be nowhere near as tolerable.

"… And then once that's finished downloading, you just sign into your account, and you're all set!" Ashi confirmed, handing Jack's Mother back her phone.

The woman adjusted her reading glasses so she could see the home screen, "So, I just have to tap the NameTag icon now, yes?" she asked.

Ashi nodded, tapping the app to demonstrate, and the blue logo came up over a white background. "NameTag" was the most popular social media site for at least a decade now, where people created personal accounts through which they could post status updates, connect with friends, and follow accounts that suited their interests.

"Oooh, finally!" Jack's Mother nudged Ashi with her elbow, "Now I don't have to turn on the computer all the time to keep up with the latest gossip," she laughed. Ashi laughed along with the woman, amazed by her uncompromising cheerfulness. Her husband was undergoing a delicate operation, yet she retained her positive demeanor; she never lost hope that he would pull through. And frankly, the woman was just plain adorable.

That cuteness left Ashi vulnerable, when Jack's Mother abruptly turned to her and asked, "Ashi, is you Father AKu?"

Ashi's mouth was agape for a few seconds, then she regained her composure, "Yes, he is," she confessed, looking away shamefully.

"Ah, okay. I was on NameTag last night after you and Jack left, and someone posted something about the 'Daughters of AKu'. I read the article—it namedropped you, by the way—and after everything you told me about your Father and your sister's, it all clicked," Jack's Mother explained.

"I see…" Ashi sighed. Guess it was about time she started feeling the repercussions of her Father's campaign, she thought; he had warned her about it months ago, and she was long overdue.

The two women were now sitting in silence. Jack's Mother didn't seem bothered at all, scrolling through her NameTag feed; but Ashi still felt guilty about her Father's misdeeds. Maybe she wasn't showing it, but Jack's Mother must have held some ill will towards her because of who she was. And what would his Father think? Jack's parents had taken the brunt of her Father's vengeance; separating them from their child, forcing them to live and work in arduous conditions. And now, AKu's daughter was here to take their son away once more.

Jack's Mother noticed Ashi's troubled mind, placing a hand on her arm, "Ashi, dear, is everything alright?" she asked quietly. Ashi froze, then slowly turned to meet the woman's gaze. But she didn't feel even a hint of anger, or scrutiny, or hate in her gaze; it was just a look of genuine, motherly concern.

Ashi was thrown off by the gesture, prompting her to ask earnestly, "Does who my Father is change your opinion of me?"

Jack's Mother stopped to take off her reading glasses, sliding them back into their plastic case, then into her purse. She clasped her hands, and started to speak: "Ashi, my opinion of you changed the moment I met you. When Jack told me that he was bringing a 'friend' with him, I wasn't sure what to expect. Of course, once he mentioned that you were a girl, I assumed right away that you two were an item. As a Mother, it can be bittersweet to find out your son has a girlfriend; you want him to be happy, to be an adult who makes his own decisions. But no matter how old he gets, he's still your little boy, and you want to protect him from the evils of the world. Greedy men who seek control over others, loose women who use men—'man-eaters', I believe is the term. I admit, the possibility of you being like that came to mind. But like I said, Jack is an adult, with every right to choose who he dates. Even if I did dislike you, Ashi, I wouldn't have said anything. He speaks quite highly of you, despite knowing about… he does know, doesn't he?"

She cast an inquisitive glance at Ashi, who perked up, "Y-Yes, of course! I didn't tell him… right away, though. He made it abundantly clear from the start that AKu was a sore subject, so I kept it a secret for a while. I was scared that he would reject me because of it; wouldn't be the first time. My whole life just feels like an extension of my parents' sometimes, I can't escape their shadow. I worry that all I'll ever amount to is being a 'daughter of AKu'." she confessed.

"But he stayed with you regardless, did he not?" Jack's Mother pointed out, and Ashi nodded with a soft smile, "Exactly. Jack knows to not judge people based on where they come from, but on the merit of their character, as we have taught him to. And that's why I don't think any less of you. Maybe, at first, I was worried you would be some floozy, but I kept that to myself, and I certainly didn't let it affect how I treat you. And as it turns out, you are a lovely person, and I enjoy being in your company. Your Father being AKu doesn't make a difference to me, no more than it did for Jack," she explained.

"In fact, my husband has a saying that I'm sure Jack remembers quite well: 'The decisions you make, and the actions that follow, are a reflection of who you are'." The wise words resonated with Ashi, calling to the deep desire she held to be her own person, not just an accessory of her family.

"Speaking of decisions…" Jack's Mother trailed off, picking up her phone again to show Ashi _her_ NameTag page on the screen, "Would you mind accepting my friend request? I don't have that many yet."

Ashi smiled, "I'd be happy to," she replied, pulling out her own phone. The two women spent the rest of the time engaged in casual conversation, Ashi showing Jack's Mother a few more things she could do with her smart phone.

Finally, four and a half hours later, the doctor stepped out of the operating room and approached them. He wore a blank expression as they all looked up at him anxiously, and finally spoke, "He's going to be just fine." The three of them felt tremendous relief. Without warning, Ashi found herself in the middle of Jack and his Mother's embrace, which they happily included her in.

She didn't mind it one bit.

/

Jack lay on the hotel bed, staring up at the ceiling. But unlike last night, he was now feeling comfortable and relieved.

The operation was a success, and although Jack's Father was still in recovery, the doctor said that they would finally be able to see him by tomorrow. Even though they would be spending Christmas day at the hospital, Jack didn't mind that, as long as his Father was healthy.

This was his and Ashi's second trip back to Lancaster as a couple, and it had proven to be the opposite to the first, at least for Jack. He went into Thanksgiving dinner with confidence, but came out feeling more uncertain than ever. Alternatively, he approached Christmas with worry about his Father's fate; but on this Christmas Eve, Jack felt more hopeful than ever about the future.

A huge contributor to that was the girl sitting Indian-style near the foot of the bed. Ashi was invested in the Christmas Movie that was playing on the TV in front of them. Apparently, this channel played this particular movie for twenty-four hours straight, from Christmas Eve through Christmas, every year. Jack had never seen this one before, but couldn't imagine it being so good as to warrant twelve consecutive viewings.

The classic Christmas story was the first festive thing he had done today, considering how they had spent the Eve; they did, however, go out for dinner with Jack's Mother, but that was more about Jack's Father than the holiday. This was turning out to be a silent night for the couple.

But then Jack remembered: He had Ashi's gift on hand, and they had never exchanged gifts. They were alone and in private, the perfect setting for Jack to present Ashi with what he had for her. Of course, Ashi probably didn't have his gift with her; but Jack, in his frantic packing yesterday, decided to take Ashi's gift with him, afraid of her stumbling upon it accidentally. Funny that a strange decision like that ended up paying off, Jack thought.

Leaning up on his elbows, Jack nudged Ashi with his leg; "Darling, could you do me a favor?" he asked sweetly.

She turned to look at him, slightly confused, "Um, sure… honey?"

Jack chuckled, "Could you get something from my luggage for me?" he pointed across the room to the black duffel bag, sitting on the table to the left of the TV.

"'Something'? Could you be a little more specific?" Ashi asked, unfolding her legs and getting up from the bed.

"… Ahh, no. You'll find it though, just take a look," Jack assured, waving her along playfully.

This was another situation where with anyone else, Ashi would have become suspicious. But Jack wasn't one to play pranks on people, she trusted that he genuinely needed "something" from his luggage.

Ashi stood over the duffel bag, gazing inside; "It should be under the clothes," Jack suggested. She lifted the pile of Jack's clothes, and saw a flat, glossy box lying down. Intrigued, Ashi slid the box out from under the clothing with her other hand, then cradling the box in wonder.

"Merry Christmas, Ashi," Jack said, now sitting up on the bed completely.

Ashi quickly snapped out of her surprise, "Hold that thought…" she responded, moving now to her own luggage. Reaching into the right side, she pulled out a box not unlike the one Jack brought for her, only thicker, and white.

Ashi picked up both gifts and hopped onto the bed, holding Jack's out to him with a bright smile, "Merry Christmas, Jack!" He took the present without looking away from her, a gleam in his eyes.

What snapped him out of it was Ashi sitting across from him in the bad, legs crossed, holding her gift excitedly, "Let's open them at the same time, okay?" she looked at him expectantly. Obliging, Jack mirrored her position and held his own gift in his lap.

The two of them sat there for a moment, looking at each other; Ashi noticed a hint of red coloring Jack's face as he glanced at the box she was holding, only making her more curious. "Ready?" he asked, grabbing a corner of the wrapping on the box he held.

Ashi nodded, "Ready," and they tore at the wrappings on their respective gifts, then pulling off the box lids and tossing them aside.

Jack pulled out a white robe that was a soft and smooth material, and it instantly reminded him of his Samurai persona. "I-I love it, thank you!" Jack gushed, holding the robe up in front of him. Ashi didn't respond, however, and he lowered the robe to see her face beat red, looking like she was holding back laughter.

"Do you… not like it?" Jack's face fell slightly, afraid he had made a mistake.

But Ashi was quick to answer this time, "No, no! I think it's lovely, I just… wasn't, you know, expecting you to buy… lingerie," she choked out, lifting the one-piece nightgown out of the box. It was made of a thin green lace, with a flowing silk skirt coming down from under that bra, covering the wearer's midsection and hips.

Ashi smiled at Jack after pulling herself together, "I like it, I really do. Thank you." She reiterated her gratitude by leaning forward and pulling him in for a kiss; a kiss that was supposed to be short, but Jack's infectious enthusiasm made her want to keep going. Moments later, she was pushing harder, causing Jack to fall back on the bed, Ashi on top of him.

But just as things were getting heated, she pulled away and sat up over him, "Before we go any further, why don't we try on our new outfits~?" she cooed as she waved the green undergarment. Jack looked at her with a naughty grin as Ashi dismounted him, sauntering towards the bathroom; she glanced at him once more before she disappeared around the corner, closing the door behind her.

Immediately after, Jack leapt off the bed and began to undress. Once he was down to only his boxers, he picked up the white robe, holding it up while standing and admiring the garment. It really was spot on, belt and everything; Jack was amazed that he hadn't noticed it himself when they were at the mall.

Nevertheless, it was now his, and all he had to do was put it on; tying the sash-like belt around his abdominals, he stepped into the mirror to admire it. Because of his excessive hair, the reflection wasn't quite perfect, but Jack could feel that this was right. This was who he was.

But Jack was unable to dwell on the feeling, too busy mentally preparing for going… _further_ with Ashi. Suddenly, he remembered the memento his friend left for him, that was instinctively tucked into his wallet (that's what he's seen people do, at least). Jack quickly retrieved it from the nightstand, and put it down there so it was in reach from the bed.

Just as he moved away from the nightstand, the bathroom door opened, and Ashi stepped out while shutting the light. The silky green nightgown hugged her body perfectly, and Jack could only stare at her as she slowly approached him, swaying her hips.

Ashi looked him up and down, then straight in the eyes to ask, "Jack, are you wearing your boxers under that?" with a small smile. Jack blinked, surprised at the question, "Um… yes," he answered.

Her gaze intensified, "Take them off," she requested firmly.

Obediently, Jack reached underneath the fold of the robe and opened it to grasp both sides of his boxers. Slowly, he slid them down his thighs until they were past his… Jack stopped, smirked at Ashi, and finished the motion quick enough that the robe was closed again before she could see anything.

Ashi flashed a weak pout, closing the distance fully as he tossed his boxers at his luggage. She grabbed the underside of the sash on his back, pulling him close to whisper, "You know, you're just delaying the inevitable."

Jack responded by grabbing her waist, whispering back, "Then let's not keep our destiny waiting any longer…"

Jack quickly descended upon a familiar spot in the crook of her neck, and Ashi was as taken aback as she was the previous times, biting her lip at the sensation of his nuzzling kisses. His third time around, Jack had started to pick up on what Ashi liked, feeling her body shiver. Her grip on his robe loosen as he prodded, and she softly moaned as he started to nibble at her neck. But he was mindful not to leave any marks, conscientious that his parents would notice them tomorrow.

The two of them had drifted from the middle of the room to the foot of the hotel bed, and Ashi found the back of her knees pressed against it; Jack lifted his head when he felt her grip tighten all of a sudden, pulling him down as she fell back onto the bed.

Ashi was now lying on the bed and looking up at Jack, who was lying on top of her. He propped himself up by his arms, and they stared blankly at each other for a moment, trying to gauge each other's reaction. Ashi finally broke the silence, "Jack," she spoke up, "This is what you want?"

Jack's blank stare quickly became a soft gaze, accompanied by a small smile; "I'm realizing now, I've wanted this for a long time," he confessed, resting his forehead on hers.

After another moment of silence in this position, Ashi brought her lips up to meet Jack's, and they began to make out again as Ashi wrapped her arms around his neck. Jack used his arms to move further up on the bed, dragging her along with him as they continued kissing. Once Ashi's head had hit the pillow, she finally let go of his neck, only to immediately claw at his robe, trying and failing to untie the sash without looking. Jack giggled at her fumbling, and broke the kiss to start untying it himself. Meanwhile, Ashi slid off the lingerie, wiggling out of the one piece from the top.

They had finished disrobing almost simultaneously, and now they were sitting there, gawking at each other; Jack, kneeling on the bed looking down at Ashi, propped up on her elbows.

Jack was blushing profusely, but managed to reach over and pick up the condom sitting on the nightstand. "Ready?" he asked, holding it out to her. Taking a deep breath, she reached over to the nightstand herself and shut off the light.

"Ready."

/

Jack lay on the hotel bed, staring up at the ceiling.

It was snowing again. The streetlight outside was illuminating the snowflakes as they fell, and shining into their window. Jack watched the shadows they cast, cascading down the hotel wall and ceiling; it reminded him of a TV with bad reception, as fuzzy as his mind at the moment.

Ashi was snuggled up against him, his right arm holding her firmly against him. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing slowly. Both of them had finally stopped panting, but they were still sweaty after their _experience_.

"Hey," Jack snapped out of it to look down, surprised to hear Ashi speak. He thought she was already asleep, but she had opened her eyes for the moment to glance at him, and saw him in his usual introspective trance. "What's on your mind?" she asked quietly.

Jack looked up at the ceiling again before answering, "I just find it funny… Everyone treats their first time like this huge turning point in life; this big, scary, new experience. People act like your life doesn't start until it happens, and yet… here we are."

"Yeah," Ashi murmured, slowly slipping out of consciousness, "It seemed like such a big deal, but now, it's just like, 'Hey, we did it, it's over'," she flourished her hand lazily, causing Jack to laugh.

"Well, you certainly sound enthused about it. Were you bored?" he joked.

Ashi groggily groaned in protest, "No, shush, it was good. You were good," she assured, kissing his chest.

It tickled him, and he chuckled in response, "You too." They laid in silence for another minute, before Jack finally mustered the courage to say it.

"Ashi, I love you."

…

…

…

No response. Ashi had already fallen asleep.

Jack sighed, but not in disappointment; he just had to wait a little longer to tell her. Finally, at ease, Jack closed his eyes as well and joined Ashi in a peaceful slumber.

/

Today was Christmas, and even though Jack's Father was still in recovery, wheelchair-bound, they were all content in at least being together.

Jack and Ashi had met his Mother at her house for breakfast, then spent all afternoon cooking dinner with her. Once it was done, they packed the food in plastic containers, and brought it with them to the hospital.

Jack's father was lying in his hospital bed, gazing out the window. When they entered his room, he turned to them with a weary, yet bright smile.

Jack and his Mother greeted him with affection, introducing him to Ashi; he was thrilled to find out his son had a girlfriend. But he was confined to a wheelchair for the time being, so Jack wheeled him as they moved to the hospital cafeteria. With special permission from the staff, they were allowed to use the space to reheat the food they had brought from home.

The relatively fresh food was delicious regardless—Ashi was especially proud of her handiwork, the roasted potatoes—and Jack's Father thanked the trio for the meal they made, as well as their love and support. Jack took that moment to apologize to his Father for his failings in the past; for failing to financially support them, and for his criminal record.

But Jack's Father did not accept the apology, because to him, it was unnecessary. He reminded his son that he and his Mother raised him to be a righteous, independent person, one that would learn from failure, seek to correct his flaws, and better himself. Jack's Father assured him that Jack _was_ that person. Though he may have made mistakes, it was his intention behind those mistakes that matter in the end, his Father explained.

It was then that he uttered one of his favorite quotes, that Jack could remember hearing when he was young: "The decisions you make, and the actions that follow, are a reflection of who you are". As he said it, Jack's Mother winked at Ashi, who smiled back as she clutched Jack's hand under the table.

His Father also had an apology of his own, revealing that he had requested Jack's Mother tell him not to come see them. He admitted that in the event something went wrong, he did not want Jack's last memory of him to be of the frail man, hooked up to life support, unable to even open his eyes.

Jack's Father also clarified that he was in the hospital from overworking; not in AKu's factory, which he was close to retiring from, but as a prominent figure of the United Neighborhood Committee. It was a group that had been formed over the last year, comprised of multiple neighborhoods that had been turned into AKu's complexes, and was fighting for legislation to regulate the oppressive behavior of the people who ran the facilities. The group had been working hard to have their voices heard, slowly making a difference for thousands of home owners. Jack's Father reminded him of what he promised four years ago, that they would persist.

As makeshift as it was, this Christmas was better than Jack could've imagined. Despite the concern early on, his Father had made it through a delicate operation, and was steadily recovering. But even at his weary age, it turned out the man was still doing what he could to uphold the righteous ideals he had instilled in his son, who respected his Father more than ever; and of Jack himself, he discovered, both his parents were as proud as ever.

What's more, he was enjoying the holiday with the woman he loved. His first time had reinforced the affection he felt for Ashi, deepening their emotional connection. Jack couldn't imagine where he would be if she hadn't come into his life, and hoped he would be able to spend the rest of it by her side. He was the happiest he had been in years, and that feeling sparked in him a new ambition:

He would _not_ let AKu take this away from him. Not again. He wasn't that scared little boy who answered the door all those years ago, he was the one who would slam it in that man's face. His purpose was the destruction of a great evil, the protection of peace and happiness in the world.

He was a Samurai.

And one day, he would end AKu's reign of terror, once and for all.

Of course, there _was_ the complication of AKu being Ashi's father… but surely, he thought, she would see the truth of her Father's evil; she would understand that his corruption must be eradicated. Father or not, Ashi would fight by his side to defend the greater good… wouldn't she?

Ashi, meanwhile, was just as happy as Jack, if not more. Jack was finally over his depressive slump now that his Father was okay, just as she had hoped he would be, while his Mother had taken quite the shine to her son's girlfriend, and was completely understanding of Ashi's unfortunate lineage. So far, it seemed like Jack's Father was fond of her as well.

Additionally, her persistent sexual advances had finally paid off, and she and Jack had consummated their relationship at last. Ashi was secretly relieved to have lost her virginity as well, and was entirely satisfied with whom she had given it.

But all this time spent with Jack's parents—actual loving, caring parents—it made her think more and more about her own. Maybe they weren't perfect—neither were Jack's parents, which they themselves admitted—but her Father was right about one thing: Family is about loyalty, and we must stick by our loved ones, even when they make mistakes.

If they truly loved her, Ashi knew that she and her parents would eventually come to terms with each other, and they would put aside their differences and disagreements for each other's sake. If she met them halfway, then her family would surely accept her for who she is, and who she loves, even if they held personal vendettas. After all, _that_ is what it means to be a parent.

And who knows, she thought. Maybe someday, Jack's parents would be hers, too.

—END CHAPTER 13—

/


	15. The Rift

—CHAPTER 14—

 _Jack stood in stunned silence as the black creature sprinted towards him, dragging its weapon along with it. The flaming sword made a jarring screech, leaving a trail of fire carved into the metal surface. Still in shock, he brought his own sword up to parry; the blade slid off, it's wielder swiveling to a stop as it passed him._

 _The black creature raised its arms, and an enormous explosion erupted behind it. Jack turned away from the blast, then looked up in horror at the monster. Its sharp, pitch black body; large, devilish horns protruding from its head; and flames were rising from its piercing, empty eyes._

 _The creature then brought the sword down at Jack, who sidestepped the attack, and the blocked the follow-up swing at his side. The creature's body stretched and contorted, relentlessly striking at Jack from every direction. It then attempted to sweep Jack's legs, stretching its own and spinning all the way around, but he "jumped good" over the deadly revolving kick._

 _Jack had just landed when the black creature went to thrust its sword down at him from above; he stepped back just in time, the burning sword impaling the ground right in front of him. Then the creature reared back and stabbed at him again. And again. And again. And again, and again, and again, until it was coming at Jack like a demonic jackhammer, finally causing a shockwave that launched him off the giant metal body they were fighting on. He landed hard and tumbled a few feet before stopping on his stomach. Brushing it off, he looked up to see the creature leap high into the air, about to bring its leg down on top of him. Jack pushed off the ground and avoided the attack, but was still blown away by the force of the kick; a tremendous impact which caused a cloud of dust and large crater in the earth below._

 _"That's my girl!" a familiar, unpleasant voice echoed nearby._

 _Jack finally got to his feet, only to feel the tremor heading in his direction. Sure enough, the black creature burst through the dust, already bringing down its weapon. But Jack managed to retaliate, bringing his sword across to intercept. The blades crossed, but the flaming sword shattered; Jack's sword kept going and sliced the creature's arm. The black skin burned as the blade cut through it, making a distinct tearing sound._

 _The creature's eyes then disappeared, and some of the black substance receded to reveal the true face of the monster. Ashi shrieked in pain, and backed away holding her wounded arm._

 _"Ashi?" she was still in there, there was still hope, "Ashi!" Jack called out to her. It was going to be okay, he could still save her._

 _"Jack…" Ashi turned to him, a look of terror on her face; she was helpless. The evil essence covering her had complete control, but it had waned for the moment. "Kill me, Jack," he looked shocked at the request, "Kill me, then destroy Aku!"_

 _"Ashi!" he cried out. How could he… no, there had to be a way to save her. Everyone else Jack had ever loved was now a mere memory to him, and he wanted desperately to keep her from becoming one of them. Ashi inspired him to not give up on himself before, and he was not going to give up on her now._

 _Just then, the black substance started to retake the small window Ashi had left. "You have to do it, do it now! KILL M-" the window was closed, and the two piercing eyes grew back, ablaze once again._

 _The creature stood there, unarmed, and motionless; either through recognition of its position, or Ashi's final act of free will, it waited patiently for Jack to decide its fate._

 _Jack clenched his sword tightly, holding it out in front of him; his torn expression was quivering as he faced the moral dilemma standing in front of him. Ashi… maybe she was really gone… maybe he had no choice… all he could do now was…_

 _But after the brief standoff, Jack fell to his knees, loosening his grip so that the sword rolled out of his hands and onto the ground. His head hung down, surrendering himself to the monster that was once the woman he loved, "I… can't."_

 _The black creature, however, could. It reared back, prepared to strike him down, and with its sharp claws it lunged at Jack._

/

"Gah!"

Jack gasped as he quickly sat up from the bed; sweat was beading off his forehead as looked back and forth, reassessing his surroundings.

Ashi stirred, her sleep disrupted by Jack's rude awakening. "Jack? What's going on?" she asked groggily, rubbing her eye as she sat up as well, and noticed Jack's frazzled state, "Is everything okay?"

Jack turned to Ashi as though he were surprised she was there, but visibly relaxed upon seeing her. He sighed, "Yes, everything is okay…" trailing off as he pondered the validity of his statement. Ashi picked up on Jack's concern, touching his hand so that he would turn to see her knowing look.

"Really, it's nothing. It was just a bad dream," he told her, pulling the tired girl in for a reassuring hug; really though, it was for him.

Ashi conceded, kissing him under the chin, "Okay, well, I'm here if you want to talk about it," as she laid back down on her pillow and started drifting back to sleep.

"Yes… of course," Jack replied tentatively, as he followed suit.

But sleep did not come quite as easily for him as it did Ashi; the nightmare lingered in his mind all through the night, and into the following day. Even when he and Ashi went out to Da Samoorai's Pad, it still hung in the back of his mind.

That night was New Year's Eve, and Jack's favorite bar annually hosted a big event to close out the year. Food and drink specials were priced remarkably low, and all kinds of glittery, new year-themed party favors were doled out; noise makers, party hats, colored glasses, all set out on a long table next to a photo booth that party-goers could dress up and take pictures in.

It was getting close to midnight, and Jack and Ashi were stood amidst the crowd of people, holding glasses of champagne, and watching on the big screen as the famous crystalline ball was about to drop. Jack had never seen it live, but always thought that being there seemed like a real pain; you get to stand around in the cold, packed together with a bunch of strangers for hours, while loud music plays over the roar of the crowd. Didn't seem like his cup of tea.

Meanwhile, Ashi was much less focused on the New Year's celebration as she was on Jack's behavior. He'd been acting moody ever since last night, and she hated when he got like that; mostly because she knew something was bothering him, and he refused to tell her what.

Swirling her the champagne in her glass, Ashi spoke up over the noise, "Jack?" he pulled his blank gaze from the screen to look at her. "What's going on with you? You're quieter than usual, and you've been acting distant all day; is this because of that bad dream you had?" Ashi asked with apparent concern, and Jack looked uncertain as he took a sip of his champagne.

Ashi moved closer, "Please, whatever it is, get it off your chest. You can talk to me about anything."

Their eyes met for a moment, but he closed his and turned away. "Ashi," he began, turning back to her, "Does your Father know about us? About _me_?" he asked hesitantly, and her eyebrows raised; she knew exactly what was bothering him now.

Ashi sighed, "No, he doesn't; not yet, anyway. But I was told he'll be back in Burlington by the end of the year, so pretty soon. By then… he'll know," she looked away, sipping her own glass.

"I see…" Jack's tone was serious, "Ashi, by now you're obviously well aware of my… _history_ with your Father. I want nothing to do with the man, but I know that if we are to be together, I will have to push past my ill feelings and be civil with him. I've done it before, back when I was still on the force, and I'm more than willing to do it again, for you," he smiled at her, which she reciprocated.

But Jack's smile fell right away, and he continued, "However, I can't say the same for _him_. Once AKu finds out about us, he'll start to see me as a threat once more; I fear that our relationship will put you in harm's way."

Ashi's smile turned down as well, taking into consideration what her boyfriend just said. Sure, Jack hated AKu, and the feeling was almost certainly mutual. But her Father didn't hate _her_ , so why would he jeopardize her safety to get at Jack? Grudge or not, Ashi knew that "the great and powerful AKu" loved his daughters; _especially_ now that their public image affected his.

"As…. scummy as my Dad can be, I don't think he'd go after you when I'm around. We're together all the time, I even moved in so he couldn't touch you. Believe me, Jack, I see where you're coming from; I've been worrying about this since we first started dating," Ashi joked, trying to lighten the mood.

But Jack wasn't convinced, "Truthfully, I don't think that will stop him. All your Father cares about is protecting his own interests, and our relationship most definitely conflicts with them. AKu does not love, he _owns_ , and he does not like someone else touching his property. Do you really think he's going to just sit back and let his mortal enemy date one of his daughters?" he questioned.

Ashi furrowed her brow, "Jack, come on, he's my Father. He'll understand. Yes, he can be petty, and selfish, and cares a little too much about his image; but deep down, he loves just like any parent does."

"Well, from what I've heard, he hasn't been a very supportive parent. He's been controlling of you your whole life growing up, what makes you so certain he'll stop now?" Jack asked with scrutiny.

Ashi's tone became confrontational; " _Because_ , if there's one thing I know about my Father, it's that one of the things he values is family. Last time I saw him, he gave this whole speech about how I need to watch my back, saying that his political opponents are going to try and use me and my sisters against him. Granted, that ties into his obsession with image, but why would he lie about the importance of family like that?"

"Because he's a _liar_ , Ashi! He's deceitful, corrupt, spiteful; no wonder he's in politics, it's _perfect_ for him. What he warned you about is probably exactly what _he_ does!" Jack aggressively stated.

Ashi snapped back, "You know, I don't appreciate you talking about my Father like that! It was fine when you didn't know who he was, but now you need to respect that, like it or not, he's my family, and I love him!"

The countdown began:

"TEN!"

"NINE!"

"EIGHT!"

"SEVEN!"

"You think you're such and AKu expert, but you're clouded by your hate!" she asserted.

"SIX!"

"FIVE!"

"FOUR!"

Ashi looked him straight in the eyes, "I _know_ my Father!"

"THREE!"

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

Jack looked at her intensely, "I'm beginning to think you don't."

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as the glittering globe finally hit the big number at the bottom, setting off dazzling pyrotechnics set to a modern rendition of "Auld Lang Syne". Everyone in the bar was swept up in the celebration, spinning noisemakers and blowing colorful their tiny, colorful horns with reckless abandon. Friends clinked their glasses, and couples met in their first kiss of the new year.

All except for one. Jack and Ashi stood in the middle of the raucous crowd, oblivious to the milestone transition that had just occurred. Instead, they were locked in an intense glare, having just experienced a different kind of milestone.

/

It was two days into the new year, and early in the day. The sky was patchy and grey, dampening the already frigid January air. AKu's Burlington headquarters loomed over the city, wearing the clouds above like a set of grim halos.

High up in office at the top of the tower, AKu's top assistant awaited in the penthouse office for his boss to return, expecting him any minute now. Scaramouche laid back in his chair across from the desk, lounging as he scatted away to pass the time.

Moments later, he heard the elevator dinged, signifying its arrival on the floor. The doors opened, and AKu wandered out of it with his phone to his ear, a grimace on his face. He yelled into his phone, "The whole reason the drug ring existed was so your officers would have something to chase all day instead of the projects _I've_ been working on! But _you_ let one of your officers go sniffing behind your back, and now not only is the drug ring no more, but those hippies or whatever got… I don't care what they are, I want to know how they got caught! ... A tip, you say? So, they were sloppy and someone ratted them out? Surprise, surprise! Who would've thought that a gaggle of filthy hippies couldn't pull off a successful heist, huh?... Of _course_ , it was sarcasm, you idiot! I don't care what they are, they got caught trying to steal some crappy beer!" AKu complained, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Scaramouche stood up, "AKu, babe! Have I got news for you…" but his boss didn't acknowledge him, too caught up in scolding whoever was on the other line. "And now I find out that the 'AKustic sounds' project got busted, too!? _Again_!? Isn't this why I kept it discreet this time!? What, could that sack of lard not handle working with children!? Best in the business my ass!" he hissed.

"Uh, boss, I think you should…" he was cut off again, "No more excuses! Now I want you to listen carefully… I've been at this for a looong time, and I've been extremely meticulous in planning my future. I made you police commissioner, so that my operations would have a friend on the opposite side of the law. The idea is that you would prevent them from being discovered by _your_ officers, and they'd be able to go about their business safely, without me having to be here to supervise. The problem is, YOUR OFFICERS KEEP BUSTING MY OPERATIONS! _No one_ on that payroll should be looking into ANY of the projects I have going in town. And if you don't find out who's been snooping around, _you're_ going to be looking around for a new career!" AKu shouted, angrily hanging up the cell phone.

Dropping the phone on his desk, the mogul plopped himself down exhaustedly in his chair letting out a deep groan. There was a pause, and Scaramouche stood there awkwardly as his boss sat there slumped.

The assistant finally spoke up, "Umm… boss?"

But AKu only went off again, "I just don't understand! I give these people all the tools they need to run a discreet and successful operation, and still, I am repeatedly disappointed! I haven't had this much trouble since the Samurai was running around with a badge and a gun. Why did I even bother declawing the law enforcement agencies around here? I should be experiencing literally zero opposition at this point! I bet it's that bloated Irish guy, or whatever the hell he is," he started rubbing his temples.

Scaramouche sat back down in his seat, pulling out a manila envelope, "Well, it's funny you mention opposition, because what I have here is the answers to all of your burning questions, boss! And let me tell you, these are some _spicy_ deets, babe!" he touted, sliding the envelope across the desk

"What's this?" AKu asked, lazily picking it up. He opened the slit to pull out a stack of large photographs, the first of which clearly depicted his most rebellious daughter, and he immediately remembered, "OH YEAH, I asked you to keep an eye on Ashi! Yeesh, it's been that long already?" he steadied himself in his seat, holding his forehead in disbelief.

Scaramouche shrugged, "What can I tell ya, time flies, babe. Any who, turn that frown upside down, because you are gonna flip when you see what your little girl's been up to!" he said as AKu set the photos out on his desk like playing cards.

With concentration, he scanned the photos across the table, taking note of the bearded man who was with her in a majority of the pictures. "So, she has a boyfriend, does she?" he mused.

Scaramouche grinned over the display of photos, "Oh, not just any boyfriend, boss… take a closer look," he pointed at the photo in AKu's hand.

Squinting hard, he tried to figure out what was so special about the scruffy fellow Ashi seems to have taken a shine to. "What, who? Is he one of those hipsters that was go- HOLY SHIT!" AKu jumped back in his seat.

"The Samuraiiii…" he growled, gripping the photo so hard, it crinkled in his hands.

"That's right, babe! The Samurai and Ashi have been canoodling since October, and they're basically inseparable nowadays. They live together, work together… _sleep_ together," Scaramouche cast a naughty side glance at his boss, who reacted by clutching his face and groaning violently.

"It gets better! _They_ were the ones who dismantled your operations. The drug ring; the hipster heist; the toddler takeover; _all_ of them were foiled by the power couple. They go in, knock some heads, then the Samurai calls his cop comrade to come cuff the crooks! And let me tell you: I've seen them in action, and what a show, babe! They're so coordinated with each other, it's like their dancing all over people's faces! _C'est magnifique_!" Scaramouche made an "OK" gesture with each hand, as AKu's face got angrier with each passing second.

Then out of nowhere, his expression softened to that of realization, and then slowly warped into a menacing grin. AKu picked up a photo of Jack, gazing affectionately at Ashi as she spoke enthusiastically.

"You know what? This could actually work in our favor…" he looked up at Scaramouche, "Tell me _everything_ you know about their relationship!"

/

Jack shifted the eggs around on his plate, barely focused on eating. Ashi sat adjacent to him at the kitchen table, not drawing her eyes away from her plate as she ate almost robotically.

Things had been a bit tense between them since their little tiff on New Year's, the following day littered with uncomfortable silences throughout. The more Jack thought about it, the more he felt he was to blame. It wasn't fair of him to rag on her Father like that, not matter the history between them. Like it or not, if he wanted to be with Ashi, he would have to learn to get along with AKu.

Unable to take the silence any longer, Jack let his fork drop against the plate as he turned to face his girlfriend. "Ashi, may I have a word?" he looked at her expectantly.

Without looking up, she responded dryly, "You don't need my permission, Jack."

"Look, I just want to apologize about the other night. You were right, it was rude of me to speak of your Father in such a way. Regardless of how I feel, he _is_ family. In the future, I will do my best to keep my grievances to myself," he looked at her somberly, resting his left elbow on the table.

Ashi sighed, dropping her own fork and laying her arms down on the table, "No, Jack, it's okay. The truth is, I don't think I'll ever understand how you feel about him. All I know is that… I don't want that to affect us. I care about both of you."

"I know, and I care about you, too. I don't want this to come between us," Jack declared, moving closer to Ashi. They looked into each other's eyes, suddenly forgetting the previous tension. He picked up her hand, clutching it with both of his as he said, "Ashi, I…"

Suddenly, Ashi's cell phone went off, and they took a moment of silence for the mood that just died. She checked the caller ID, and her eyes went wide; "It's him," she said. Jack blankly stared back in response, "Are you going to pick up?" he finally replied.

Ashi accepted the call, hesitantly putting the phone to her ear. "… Hello?" she asked carefully, only to be deafened by her Father's aggressive greeting.

"ASHIII, DARLIIING! It's been far too long, dear!" Jack looked away with an uncomfortable expression, able to make out his mortal enemy's muffled voice.

"Hi, Dad," Ashi replied, deadpan. She stared blankly, listening to what her Father was saying. Jack could no longer make out what he was saying, but whatever it was prompted Ashi to pinch the bridge of her nose.

Finally, she snapped, "Knock it off already! I know you already know everything, because I caught your flamboyant lackey following me around! Just what the hell is that about, Dad; you really think you need to keep tabs on me like that?"

Ashi sat there on the phone, pouting while her Father responded, "So, what if I am?" she retorted. "Oh, yeah right. He's not going to go for it, you know that!" to which Jack looked at her, "… Ugh, _fine_ … I'll ask him…" and Ashi lowered the phone to look apologetically at Jack.

"Listen, he, uh… he wants me to go see him at his office again… and he wants you to come along," she begrudgingly offered, expecting him to be taken aback.

Jack stared blankly for a moment, contemplating the offer. Finally, he smiled sheepishly, "Well then, what are we waiting for?" Jack declared, decisively standing up and holding his hand out, "Let's go see… Dad."

Ashi smiled, taking Jack's hand. Once they cleaned up their breakfast, the couple got dressed and headed out for AKu's office. When they arrived, Jack looked up at the imposing structure with hesitation.

He then felt Ashi's hand on his shoulder, and turned to see her concerned face; "You sure about this? You could wait here if you…" she offered, but Jack interjected, "No, no, it's okay. I'm just a little… guarded, is all."

"That's fair," Ashi admitted, hopping off the bike, "Now then, let's get this over with…" she said, looking up at the tower herself. She took Jack's hand, and they made their way across the plaza to the entrance of the building, the automatic doors parting as they approached.

Jack's eyes darted back and forth across the lavish lobby, taking note of the colorful characters that were present: A few shady business types in suits, looking at their phones through sunglasses; a ragged Mother with three young children, that clearly had too much energy; and a large man with a very unfriendly scowl on his face. Jack wondered what business they all had with AKu.

The duo reached the front desk, where the snidely receptionist greeted them. "We're here to see my Father," Ashi explained, and the man responded pleasantly, "Of course, Miss Kurasawa!" He noticed Jack standing there, "And _you_ must be the…"

"Her boyfriend, yes. Jack," he interjected. The last thing Jack wanted was to make his identity known here of all places. The receptionist cleared his throat, "Yes, my apologies, _Jack_. Mr. Kurasawa is _most_ enthusiastic to see you again!"

Jack forced a smile, "I'm sure he is…"

"Go right ahead, you two," the man gestured, and the two muscular security guards stepped aside to allow them access to the elevator. They both thanked him, and anxiously stepped into the lift, taking a deep breath as the doors closed behind them. Pressing the button for the top floor, Ashi's grip on Jack's hand tightened, reminding him that she was just as nervous about this as he was.

The elevator dinged as it came to a stop, and the doors opened. Jack and Ashi stepped out, side-by-side, walking up the red carpet, where Ashi's Father sat in his chair looking out the window. They both made eye contact with Scaramouche, who was standing off to the side of the desk; he grinned and waved at them, but they only scowled at him in return, both recognizing him as the spy that gave them away.

They stood there for a moment, and AKu swiveled his chair slowly to face them with a smile. "Sweet Ashi, it warms my heart that you have once again graced me with your presence! I've missed you dearly in these months I've been away, daughter!" he declared extravagantly.

"Well, I'm here now; but I'm sure all the _gossip_ you've heard has helped to fill the void," Ashi remarked, casting another glare at Scaramouche, who pinched his collar and looked away nervously.

AKu then turned to Jack with a smug expression, "And you, _old friend_. I trust you've been taking good care of my little girl, yes?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Jack's gaze intensified, "Why, yes. Better than she's been cared for in a long time…" Ashi snapped her head at him, picking up on the confrontational tone in his voice. AKu's brow raised at the remark, squinted at Jack for a moment, then suddenly broke into a hearty laugh. Jack and Ashi both looked at him in confusion.

"Right you are, Samurai! After all, Ashi's been looking after herself for quite some time now! Her Mother certainly never treated her properly—you've met her, I'm sure you know what I mean—and I've been traveling so often because of work, that I can't give her the proper attention!" AKu reclined in his chair, "Ashi, I know you're a mature, independent woman. But you must understand: Deep down, you will always be my little girl. I've always done what I thought was best for you—sending you to boarding school, getting you an honest job at your Mother's company—and asking my assistant to look out for you was no exception!" AKu declared with passion, sitting up and holding up his index finger.

Jack was skeptical throughout the entire monologue, familiar with his nemesis' silver tongue. But the persuasive prose had resonated with Ashi, who was recounting similar words spoken by Jack's Mother. Just as the woman admitted, Ashi's Father also had those maternal instincts—er, paternal—that compelled him to intrude on her personal life; his intentions were pure, so could she really be all that mad?

"That said," AKu continued, relaxing once again, "I am a man of traditional ideals. I believe that what a woman sometimes needs is the guiding hand of a caring gentleman— _besides_ her Father, of course! But if I had known about this relationship of yours, I would have _never_ intruded upon your privacy like this," he apologetically explained, closing his eyes and putting his hands over his heart.

AKu then opened his eyes and directed them at Jack, whose startled gaze turned into a careful squint. "I know that you and I have had quite the tumultuous relationship, and I admit that am… guilty of certain… transgressions," he trailed off, looking away slowly.

Ashi was listening intently to her Father's words, this meeting was completely subverting her expectations: She was expecting Jack and AKu to get into some sort of confrontation, both stubborn in their ideals. She expected to be chewed out for putting his political reputation in danger by sleeping with one of his opponents. She was expecting an ultimatum, likely on both ends.

But instead, Ashi was witnessing a civil discussion between her Father and Boyfriend, with the former having nothing but good things to say so far. And now, her Father was basically _confessing_ to something!? This was so shocking to Ashi, she briefly wondered if she was still asleep.

Suddenly, an uncharacteristically genuine smile appeared on AKu's face, and both Jack and Ashi were taken by it. "But you, Samur… _Jack_. You have proven time and time again to be a worthy adversary; someone who is unwavering in his ambitions, who never gives up when the chips are down! We actually have a lot in common, Jack. But do you know what the most important thing we share is? It's that we both care about and want what is best for Ashi! That fact alone is proof to me that a friendship between us might not be so impossible after all," his eyes drifted to his daughter's as he finished his monologue, and the look in hers was that of a restored faith.

Unbeknownst to Ashi, Jack's gaze moved to her the same time as her Father's, as he wanted to gauge _her_ reaction to the speech. Much to his dismay, she had bought it hook, line, and sinker. His nemesis had won over yet another innocent with his deception.

Or, that's what Jack would typically say to himself in this situation. But this was different, this wasn't just some random fool that AKu was trying to swindle. This was his _daughter_ , his own flesh and blood (the thought of which still made Jack shudder a bit); even _he_ wouldn't sink that low… would he? Either way, he was willing to give his foe the benefit of the doubt, at least for Ashi's sake.

"I must say, AKu, it is quite surprising to see you express such heartfelt sentiment. Though I suppose I should expect nothing less from a… supportive parent," Jack barely managed to choke the words out, then cleared his throat before continuing, "I am eager to put our history behind us, to be able to coexist peacefully with you; and more importantly, _continue_ living with your daughter." He turned back to Ashi, resting his right hand on her leg.

Ashi gazed back affectionately at Jack for a moment, then broke the connection and shifted over to her Father, who grinned back at her. "I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes me that you two are finally starting to get along, this has been such a huge worry of mine for a while now. We've still got a long way, I know; but I know I can expect the best out of you two, the most important men in my life," Ashi professed joyfully, "Thank you so much. Both of you."

"Anything for you, Ashi. Right, Jack?" AKu looked expectantly at Jack, who answered back with a "Right" of his own.

"Right!"

"Right…"

Then they sort of stared blankly at each other for a moment, until AKu's face turned into a friendly grin; Jack's face strained as he forced a pathetic attempt at a similar smile.

With that resolved, AKu informed them that he would have to end the meeting there, as he had quite a few appointments that day he had to honor. Satisfied with the outcome, Ashi gave her Father a peck on the cheek and a big hug, thanking him again for his understanding. Jack shook his hand strictly out of politeness, but it was much easier to pull off now that he knew they were leaving. The couple stepped into the elevator, and as soon as the door closed, Ashi rushed to hug Jack just as tightly.

"Don't think I forgot about you. You're half the reason this all went so well," she cooed, half of her face digging into his chest.

Jack smiled, putting his arms around her as he responded, "It certainly wasn't easy, but nothing worth having is."

Ashi released her hold and stepped back to smirk at Jack, "Well, it looks like you were wrong about my Father; he _is_ willing to put his personal conflicts aside for me. If I was the kind of person who enjoyed gloating, I could totally say 'I told you so' about this whole thing. But, you know, that would just be soo petty. I think I'll keep it to myself instead," she shrugged casually.

"My, aren't we modest? It sure is lucky you didn't bring it up again, or I'd look pretty silly right now," Jack remarked sarcastically, and they both laughed as the elevator opened at the ground floor.

Ashi spoke up again as they walked through the lobby, "But all joking aside, this is great! Aren't you happy that we don't have to worry about this anymore?" she asked enthusiastically, expecting Jack to share her feeling.

But Jack rubbed the back of his head as he looked away, "Well… I won't deny that this _is_ a good thing, but…" he trailed off, uncertainty in his voice.

"But…?" Ashi raised an eyebrow.

Jack shook his head, "I'd like to think all our worries are over, but it all depends on him keeping his word, which…" he sighed, "Look, all I'm going to say is that we still need to be careful. Despite what he claims, he could be planning something behind our backs; we wouldn't know until it's too late."

The two of them passed through the front entrance, and headed through the plaza as Ashi reflected on Jack's words. Part of her really wanted to see her Father as a villain the same way Jack did; part of her wanted to run away with her boyfriend to a place beyond AKu's reach, and live out the rest of their days peacefully, together.

But the realistic part of Ashi won out, and she spoke sympathetically, "Jack, it's okay that you still don't trust AKu. I don't blame you for it; like I said, I haven't gone through what you have. But that's why I want you to trust me, instead. Maybe he exaggerated a bit about how supportive he was of our relationship, but my Father has always kept his word with me, and I'm confident that he will now."

They finally reached Jack's bike, and the two of them climbed aboard as Ashi continued, "I don't know what's in store for us, but we have my Father's blessing; things are looking up, Jack." Ashi leaned over Jack's shoulder to peck him on the cheek, causing him to blush.

"You know, I really hope you're right…" Jack remarked as he started the engine.

Meanwhile, AKu was looking down at the couple from his office window, holding his hands behind his back formally. "Well, well, well! What an adorable couple they make! How ironic that the two people that have caused me the most grief have found happiness in each other's company; poetic, I'd say! Isn't love grand?" he gushed as the motorcycle sped off.

Scaramouche looked surprised, sitting there with arms and legs crossed respectively. "Dang, babe, you're taking this better than I expected. Does this mean you're not gonna intervene?" he asked incredulously.

"Intervene? _Me_? Come ooon! What kind of Father would I be if I swooped in and tried to tell my grown-up little girl who she was allowed to date? Not the kind she would appreciate, that's what!" AKu declared, turning around swiftly to address his assistant. He wandered over to his desk, opening the top drawer as he continued, "No, my sweet innocent daughter would _never_ expect me to try and sabotage them after _that_ performance! Between the two of them, she _actually_ believes that I'm perfectly okay with her dating the Samurai! Though, in a way, I _am_ perfectly okay with her dating the Samurai, because it gives me the perfect ammunition to finally destroy him!"

AKu pulled the semi-crumpled photo of Jack and Ashi from the drawer mid conversation, examining it again as he spoke. "Ashi may be naïve, but the Samurai knows better than to trust me. I only have to pull a few strings, and then the Samurai's hatred of me will tear them _apart_!" he shouted, violently tearing the photo down the middle.

—END CHAPTER 14—

/


	16. The Break Up

—CHAPTER 15—

 _The elevator dinged, and the metal doors slowly parted._

 _Through them walked a tall, slim figure into AKu's office. A woman with short black hair that framed her porcelain face with little curls, and a distinctive mole to the left of her nose. She wore a long black trench coat, and a pair of reflective sunglasses hid her sultry green eyes. Even on the carpeted floor, her high heels made a faint bump as she sauntered over to the man himself._

 _AKu sat up straight at his desk with his hands in front of him, fingers interlocked; his face gave a serious and professional demeanor. Instead of sitting down, the woman stepped to the right of the chair in front of his desk, as she intended to make this quick and be on her way. The sooner she left the city, the better._

 _"I trust everything went smoothly?" AKu inquired._

 _The woman waved her hand dismissively, "Of course," reaching into her trench coat pocket, she pulled out a shimmering blue gemstone, square in shape, as big as the palm of her hand. "As promised," she said proudly, placing the jewel on the desk without removing her hand, "Now, pay up."_

 _AKu grimaced at the woman, "Right…" reaching into one of his suit jacket and pulling out a small rectangular manila envelope, placing it down and holding it just as she did. Slowly, they both slid their item across the desk, carefully trading with each other. AKu inspected the jewel thoroughly, and the woman noticed as she opened up the envelope._

 _"Oh, relax! It's the real thing, trust me," she said dismissively as she counted the stack of money that was within the envelope, "And would you look at that, it's all here for once! Don't I feel special!" she gushed teasingly._

 _AKu rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. I still think I should be getting a discount; we_ are _family, after all."_

 _The woman laughed, "Like that's ever made any difference to you. Besides, the price was perfectly reasonable given the risks. Although," the woman touched her lips sensually, "the fringe benefits were quite satisfying. The poor Samurai has no idea what happened last night~," she cooed, causing AKu to retch at the thought. "Oh hush," she scolded, "Maybe if you employed better thieves, you wouldn't need me to sleep with your enemies."_

 _"First of all, they're 'misappropriation associates'," AKu raised a finger defensively, "Second,_ that _was not a condition of this job. And third, unlike_ some _people, petty theft is not my biggest concern. My ambitions are far too grand for such meager crimes! You just wouldn't understand…" he remarked, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed._

 _"You're right, I wouldn't," the woman smirked, "After all,_ I'm _not the one with the superiority complex." AKu sneered as she continued her analysis, "You and I both know how to take what we want in this world; the difference is that_ you _want more than your share," she started towards the elevator, "If you're not careful, the world might end up taking it back…"_

 _"Ugh, you have your money, just leave already!" AKu growled._

 _She replied as the elevator doors opened, "One step ahead of you, as usual." The woman stepped through and turned around to wave goodbye, "Until next time, little bro," as the doors closed._

 _AKu scoffed, and swiveled his chair towards the window, and held up the blue jewel in his hand. Looking at his reflections, he mused to himself, "Well, I suppose family's good for_ something _…"_

/

After their meeting with AKu, things returned to normalcy for Jack and Ashi.

Ashi was elated to know that her Father supported their relationship, having hoped that she could reconcile the two most important men in her life. They certainly weren't on good terms yet, but this was a step in the right direction.

And Jack, despite the bad feeling in the back of his mind, had relaxed somewhat from seeing Ashi so happy. It obviously meant a lot to her that he got along with her Father, and he was prepared to do his best given the circumstances. He desperately hoped that his mortal enemy was genuine in his affection for Ashi; surely, if AKu had _any_ love in his heart, it would be for his daughter.

With seemingly all loose ends tied, the couple could safely resume working different jobs every few days, making a couple hundred bucks at a time. They only had about ten grand left before they reached their goal, and the property they wanted was still up for sale. At this rate, Ashi estimated that they would be able to cover the down payment by late February.

Today, a little over a week since their meeting with AKu, the two of them were scheduled to fill in as security personnel at the local art museum. They arrived promptly at eight-fifty, ten minutes before the exhibit was supposed to start, parked the bike, and went around back to the service entrance. A man in business attire stood by the door, looking intently at the clipboard he was holding.

The man looked up as they approached, "Can I help you?" he asked blankly.

Ashi stepped forward, "Yes, hi, we're here to fill in as security for today's exhibit? We called yesterday, our names are Jack and Ashi," she explained with a smile, gesturing to Jack and herself respectively.

"Wait, are you…" the man trailed off as he scanned the clip board, "Yeaaah, see we tried to call you guys. We had a couple last-minute fill ins, and now we have nowhere to put you guys. I'm sorry, but the positions have been filled," he looked at them apologetically.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "But, why would you fill them if you knew we were working the exhibit? Was there some breach of communication along the line?" he inquired.

The man threw his hands up defensively, "Hey man, don't ask me. I don't decide who gets hired, they just put me in charge of the ones who did," he shrugged.

Ashi spoke up, "Forget it, thanks anyway. Keep our names in case any other work comes up, have a nice day," she took Jack's hand, lightly pulling him away as she waved goodbye to the museum official.

Once they got out of earshot, Jack turned to Ashi as they were walking back, "Doesn't that seem odd to you? Why would they completely disregard their prior obligation to us?"

Ashi shrugged, "It was probably just a failure to communicate, like you said. This kind of thing happens all the time, at least when upper management is involved."

They made it back to the bike, and hopped on as Jack sighed, "Either way, that's unfortunate."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Ashi smiled at Jack, "It's okay. It's still pretty early, we'll find something to do."

"You're right, it's not a big deal," he agreed, and they sped away.

Their next attempt was an ad from a local theatre troupe, that was looking for assistance in constructing the set for their latest production. The stage manager, Reggie, was well-acquainted with Jack and Ashi from their prior work on constructing sets for previous shows.

Passing through the double doors of the theater, the couple Reggie standing downstage, overlooking the construction happening onstage in front of him. He turned and smiled as they walked down the aisles to him, "Jack! Ashi! What can I do for you?" the man greeted, recognizing them from previous labor.

"Hi, Reg! We saw your ad, we're here to lend a hand in building the set," Ashi explained politely, standing up straight next to Jack confidently.

But Reggie rubbed the back of his head, blowing through his teeth as he looked at the construction. He called out to someone on set, "Uhh, Ian! Do we need any more hands on deck right now?"

Ian pondered for a moment, "No, we're…" looking around himself before shaking his head, "We're covered pretty good actually."

"Right… I'm sorry, you guys, looks like we're full right now. Definitely call tomorrow, though; we'll probably still be working on this," Reggie apologized.

Ashi remarked, "Well, it's nice to see that you have a lot of people helping out around here."

Reggie nodded, turning to look back at the construction, "Sure is. Truth be told, I don't even know where they all came from. We've never even had _ten_ people helping out, now there's like twenty-something. It's crazy," he then turned back to Jack and Ashi with a sympathetic expression, "I really am sorry though, you guys. You know we appreciate the work you do here—in fact, come with me."

Reggie brought them out to the lobby, then went into the box office across from the theater entrance. He came out a few minutes later with what looked like two tickets, but were revealed to vouchers _for_ tickets, which Reggie wanted Jack and Ashi to have.

"The show opens the week of Valentine's Day, which is a performance date, by the way. I'd love to see you guys at one of the performances!" he smiled at them, and they thanked him for his generosity before departing once more, bummed about being turned down again.

Still, the couple gave it a third try, visiting a quaint little flower shop they had passed by numerous times. A help wanted sign was constantly hanging in the window, and Ashi had high hopes for this place; third times the charm, she cheered.

But, just like the previous employers, a handful of people had already filled the positions, and they had arrived just in time to see the sign being taken out of the window.

Standing in front of the shop, Jack and Ashi looked at each other in disappointment. "This is so strange, all these people coming out of nowhere. We've _never_ had this much trouble finding work," Ashi wondered out loud.

Jack responded in a peculiar tone, "Yes, it sure is a funny coincidence that all these people have started doing temp work like us, isn't it?"

Ashi turned to squint at Jack, "Yeah…" she trailed off as she eyed him suspiciously.

Jack noticed her incriminating stare, "Why are you giving me that look?" he asked.

"Well, it sounded like you were implying something when you said it was a coincidence, though I'm not sure what that could be," she calmly explained, trying her best not to sound like she was accusing him.

Jack turned to start towards his bike, "Oh no, I was merely agreeing that it was odd. I mean, how could every ad we've tried today already be taken already? It's almost like someone was keeping track of what we're doing, and specifically trying to keep us from finding work, don't you think?" he asked innocently.

Ashi scowled, seeing where this was headed; "As a matter of fact, I _don't_. There just happens to be a large influx of people looking for work lately—I don't know, immigrants maybe! Whatever the reason, it's completely unrelated to the actions of any particular individual, even if _someone_ thinks that that particular individual is out to get them, which they aren't!" she asserted.

Jack laughed, "Immigrants, huh? Well, I happen to know that this _particular individual_ has ties to immigration policy, so it's not out of the question that they might have had something to do with all these _immigrants_."

"Oh, give me a break! You'll just find any reason to blame him, won't you?" Ashi protested, "He's a political candidate, I'm sure he's got better things to do than try to sabotage one of his seven daughters' relationships. Plus, it's only been a week; do you _really_ believe that my Father could've organized some convoluted scheme to keep us from finding work in that amount of time?"

Jack's raised his voice a notch, "Yes, I _really_ do! Like you said, he's a politician; lying is his _job_!"

Ashi rolled her eyes, "You're just saying that because you _want_ to believe he's sabotaging us."

Jack glared back, "Well, _you_ just want to believe he isn't…"

They had a brief stare down before Ashi finally broke away, "Just forget it, okay!?" she threw up her hands angrily, "Let's just go find a stupid job, and you'll see that you're being ridiculous!" she shouted, stomping off towards Jack's bike.

Sighing deeply, Jack trudged off after her.

/

It was finally Valentine's Day, and Jack thought it couldn't come soon enough.

The job crisis he and Ashi were experiencing recently had not improved, and every ad they had tried recently was already taken. With no other options, the two of them applied to a nearby fast food establishment, aptly named "Burg-eoise". Jack felt like he was right back at Sheriff Mart, and Ashi frequently expressed her disdain for their new employment. Even worse, they were often assigned to different shifts, so they rarely worked side-by-side like they were used to; _and_ the fact that they were now living off minimum wage didn't help either. Being able to move into the new place by the end of the month was looking less and less viable.

This unfortunate situation only amplified the tension that had developed between the two of them, as Jack continued to blame AKu for their financial troubles. Ashi refused to accept that, still clinging to the notion that her Father was looking out for her. After all, he offered to find them better paying jobs after hearing about their struggle, even pay for their new place outright.

Jack vehemently refused to accept his charity, even though Ashi wasn't planning on taking the offer herself, and that resulted in another fight between them. They had been getting into a lot lately, and something was going to give.

But today was Valentine's Day, and Jack had planned the perfect date to put an end to the squabbling once and for all, hoping to reignite he and Ashi's passion for each other. Ashi was the only one working today, her shift ending at six. It was only noon, which gave Jack plenty of time to prepare.

First, he would buy the traditional flowers and chocolate, as well as a stuffed ladybug plush he saw recently at the store. Next, he would take her to dinner at her favorite restaurant, and then only a few blocks down to the theater, where they would see the play that their acquaintance had given them vouchers to. Finally, they would go back to their place for a night of satisfaction the likes of which Ashi had never experienced—at least in the last month or so.

And to top it all off, Jack would finally say those three little words that he kept missing his chance to say. Every opportunity since Christmas, Jack couldn't muster the nerve to do so; not to mention every AKu-related distraction taking his mind off it.

So, Jack was standing in the greeting card aisle of a gift shop, trying to find the perfect card for Ashi. Of course, it would be his own words that would endow it with the appropriate sentimentality; but the look of the card mattered, too. Everything had to be just right.

At last, the perfect card appeared before him: It had no words, inside or out, but a pastel of a lone cherry blossom tree on a hill, overlooking a lush valley of pink, and rays of sun beaming down. With that settled, he grabbed the box of chocolates, a bouquet, and the ladybug plush from the other aisles, then went to purchase the items.

From the gift shop, Jack headed over to the theater that was showing the play he was taking them to. It was finally time to exchange those vouchers for tickets to tonight's performance, and Reggie assured him that there would be tickets even if he exchanged them for a same day show. It was a rather eclectic theater.

However, upon arrival at the theatre, Jack noticed a large orange poster plastered against the bulletin board in front of the theater that read, "TONIGHT'S PERFORMANCE IS CANCELLED DUE TO CONFERENCE. APOLOGIES, CAST AND CREW."

Jack's heart sank when he saw the post, and quickly pulled out his phone again to dial Reggie. The stage manager picked up almost immediately, " _Hello?_ "

"Reggie, hi!" Jack practically cut him off, "I just saw the notice outside the theater, what's going on? What 'conference'?" he asked urgently.

" _Oh, that. Well, AKu is holding a press conference at the court house down the street, and we expect there to be major traffic issues on the block during it. On top of that, most of the cast and crew are very politically active, and they are_ very _critical of his policies. They want to join in the protests that are going to be held outside the courthouse—artists, am I right?_ " Reggie joked, but Jack didn't laugh. " _Anyway, we decided to just cancel tonight's performance, sorry about that. Hope we're not screwing up your plans for the evening._ "

Jack responded lightly through gritted teeth, "No, not at all. I have to go; bye, Reggie," and hung up before Reggie could say goodbye, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

Well, that was one part of his plan ruined so far, no big deal. They still had the reservations for seven at Ashi's favorite restaurant, "World Bazaar". Said restaurant was famous for having quite possibly the most culturally diverse menu of any dining establishment, featuring popular dishes from all corners of the globe. The place was divided into with respective booths for each country's food. Jack and Ashi had gone there on a date back in November, and she had been obsessed ever since.

Now feeling a little less confident about his Valentine's idea, Jack decided to call to confirm the reservations, just to be safe. He looked up the contact and dialed the number; it rang several times before someone finally picked up, " _World Bazaar,_ " he answered, lazily.

Jack responded quickly, "I'd like to confirm my…"

" _This is Damian speaking,_ " slurred the voice on the other end of the line, interrupting the request.

Jack blinked in confusion, then tried to go for it again, "My name is Jack, and I have a…"

Only to be cut off again by the sluggish voice again, " _How may I help you?_ "

Jack paused with a scowl, then spoke up once he was sure the employee didn't have any more lines to remember. He cleared his throat, "Uh, yes, hello. I would like to confirm that my reservations are set for seven'o clock, tonight. I believe it is under the name, 'Jack'."

Silence. "Hello?" Jack called out in confusion a couple times, but no response; though he could faintly hear occasional noises and clicks, cueing Jack him in that the employee on the other end was, very slowly, checking some sort of computer system for Jack's reservation. At least he was doing his job. "Seven, o'clock," Jack reminded awkwardly, "Under the name, 'Jack'".

After about two minutes of various ticks and ticks coming from the other end, Damian spoke up again, " _Okay… I found it._ " Jack stared blankly for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and asked, "And?" A brief intermission, and Damian elaborated, " _So, the restaurant got bought out for the night by…_ " what a terrible place to cut up your sentence, thought Jack. " _People from AKu's campaign._ "

Jack fell into a blank stare once again, only this time his left eye starts to twitch ever so slightly, and it was only after Damian asked, " _You still there, man?_ "

"So, no seven o'clock then, is what you're saying?" Jack asked, suppressing the anger that was steadily brewing in him. He mulled it over while waiting for Damian to perfect his next statement in his head for an excessive amount of time, which was must have been why he was taking so goddamn long to speak.

" _Yeah. Sorry about that, we have to turn away a lot of reservations for this actually; I supposed I should have mentioned that from the beginning,_ " Jack was completely thrown off by the sudden burst of articulation coming from Damian, who continued to apologize—maybe he actually _was_ just taking longer to choose his words? " _The deal was made on a corporate level so we have no choice but to host the party. Again, I'm sorry, cause I get it! This thing they're doing is definitely…"_ wait for it, " _Bad timing._ "

Jack sighed, "Yeah, that's what it is alright… _bad timing_ ," and hung up the phone.

Unbelievable, he thought. Once again, his nemesis had sabotaged yet another aspect of his date plan, and now all he had left was the card, the chocolate, and the plush. Jack was going to need more than that to save his relationship.

So, no play, and no reservation; what else could he do to salvage this night? Well, since they had nowhere to go, Jack decided to make their dinner himself. The next best thing to being taken out to dinner was coming home to it, he figured. And best of all, AKu couldn't stop him this time.

But what was he going to make? After a quick brainstorm, Jack remembered a classic dish that his Mother used to make, and taught him how to make many years ago, chicken stir-fry. His first attempt didn't turn out so well, but it was a simple recipe that he had since perfected, and Ashi might appreciate the sentimentality of it.

Jack already knew what he needed for the dish, but also that he had none of those ingredients back at home. Since he was already out and about, it wouldn't be too much trouble to run down to the supermarket and buy everything he needed. He had plenty of time until Ashi got off work to go out and buy the ingredients, bring them back and start cooking. Jack wanted to line things up so he would finish cooking just before she returned. Filled with new determination, he set off for the supermarket.

But throughout the excursion, it seemed that not just AKu, but the world itself was out to get him. Most of the major roads downtown were backed up as far as the eye could see; cars were bumper to bumper, and the sound of aggressive honking echoed from ahead of the line. It took every ounce of Jack's willpower to not weave through the obstructing vehicles on his bike.

An eternity or so later, and he finally arrived at the supermarket. But of course, things didn't get any less complicated from there. The store was just as crowded as the streets, and Jack worried that some of the ingredients he needed would be sold out. Fortunately, he was eventually able to find all but one, which upon asking an employee, they brought him from the back of the store.

The only thing left to do was purchase the items, which meant braving the impossibly long lines up front that stretched into some of the aisles. Even the express line was crowded, possibly from some customers not adhering to the "ten items or less" rule.

Once Jack got up to pay for his items, he expected the process to go quickly and smoothly. But much to his dismay, the cashier was just starting out, and needed a supervisor's assistance with one of the items. Jack knew it wasn't their fault, they weren't doing this on purpose; but this entire day has been one big mounting disappointment, and he couldn't help being frustrated about it.

Fortunately, Jack made it out of the store with everything he needed, and now he just had to make it home and start cooking. He only had a little over an hour left to do so, but traffic had lightened up immensely, and the ride back was much quicker than his departure.

Once he was in the apartment, he threw the ingredients on the counter, quickly gathered the pots, pans, and cooking utensils he would need, and got to work.

/

At last, Ashi's shift was done.

Burg-eoise, the aptly named fast food joint, was the prison in which she had spent the last eight hours doing time, the entirety of which she worked the register, taking people's orders. What Ashi thought was a typical lunch rush turned into an endless stream of customers; it seemed that for every happy couple out enjoying the holiday, there was a lonely single individual that just wanted to indulge on cheap food, or a rambunctious family of varying numbers with no reason to celebrate this particular holiday.

As she walked out of the establishment towards the street, all Ashi could think of was going home, freshening up, and spending the rest of Valentine's Day with Jack. Sure, they'd been… tense these past few weeks, but she didn't want to see him less one bit. Just as she held out for her Father, Ashi believed in the man she…

Dare she say… loved?

That word wasn't thrown around much in her family. Her parents never used it, and even among her many sisters, affectionate words were rarely shared; how could Ashi even begin to say it to someone who _wasn't_ related to her?

But then again, maybe she did love Jack. They'd been together for a while now, and this rough patch they've hit hasn't changed how she felt about him. Using that word would be a big step for both of them, but if there were ever a time to take it, Valentine's Day was it.

With a sudden resolve, Ashi was ready to go back home and see Jack, look him in the eyes, and finally say…

"Ashi!"

Her train of thought was completely derailed by her Father's voice coming from somewhere. A quick scan of her surroundings found him beckoning to her from a limousine parked across the street from Burg-eoise.

"Dad?" she said surprised, walking over to the open window, "What are you doing here?"

AKu opened the door and exited the limo, stepping up close to and looking down at his daughter, "Ah yes, funny story! You see, I was just on my way to a very important press conference, when I saw an advertisement for Burg-eoise, and remembered that you told me you were working at the one that was on the way to the courthouse. I figured, 'Why not drop by and see my hardworking daughter on the job, out there making her way in this harsh world?' But it looks like you've already had your shift, haven't you?" he asked, eyeing the hat and apron bunched together in her right hand.

"Yeah, I just got off, and now I was going to head back to…" Ashi didn't get to finish her explanation before her Father interjected enthusiastically.

"Perfect! I can give you a ride—or better yet! You can come with me to the press conference! Having one of my lovely daughters by my side will look great for me…" Ashi raised an eyebrow at her Father, who cleared his throat, "…but more importantly, it would mean a lot to me, _personally_ , to have you there," AKu pressed his hands together pleadingly, bending down slightly so that he was eye to eye with his daughter.

Ashi turned away slightly, rubbing her arm, "I-I'd love to, Dad… but it's Valentine's Day. Jack's probably got something planned, I want to spend time with him; I barely saw him all day," she explained apologetically.

Stepping back into her line of sight, her Father chuckled with a look of sympathy. "Not to worry, Dear! It will only take an hour, hour and a half, tops. I guarantee you'll still have plenty of time to spend with the Samuraaaaiii mean, your boyfriend!" he assured her.

"Besides, if you explain the situation to him, I'm certain that Jack will understand why this is so important. After all, _he_ knows the importance of familial responsibility," AKu stood up straight in conviction to his words, and with one last pleading look at Ashi, she herself was swayed by them.

"Y-Yeah, you're right," she smiled, "Jack will understand. Let me just give him a call, let him know, like you said."

Ashi reached into her purse as her Father started leading her into the limousine, "Of course, of course! But we must be on our way, the conference starts in fifteen!"

AKu got into the limo right after Ashi, closing the door behind him, and the vehicle rolled away.

/

The kitchen air was thick with steam erupting from the pan, as the chicken and vegetables sizzled and simmered, drizzled in sauce.

Jack stood over the hot stove, taking a big whiff of the food's aroma. He had outdone himself this time; the chicken was browned to perfection, the sauce had the perfect blend of flavor, and the vegetables were the freshest he could find in stores. He also had a pot of fluffy white rice cooking, that would perfectly top off the concoction (or rather, the other way around). Everything was almost done, and it was only five after seven. Ashi was in for a delicious surprise when she got home, and even though she was home earlier today, Jack was anxious to see her again.

Suddenly, his cell phone went off. Jack reached under his apron to pull it out of his left pocket, and saw that it was Ashi—maybe she couldn't find a ride? Stepping away from the noisy stove, he accepted the call and put the phone to his ear, "Hello?"

"Hey, Jack?" Ashi spoke softly from the other line, riding in her Father's limousine, "How, uh… how's it going?"

The apparent uncertainty in her voice made Jack slightly concerned. "Um… good?" he wasn't really sure how to answer, instead offering a question of his own, "So, are you on your way home?"

There was a quick pause before Ashi responded, "That's… actually why I called. My Dad picked me up from work, but now he's taking me to his press conference or whatever. I refused, but he said it would only be an hour, at most. I'll be home just a little later, okay?" An even longer pause occurred as Jack tried to process what he just heard. Ashi apologized sincerely, "I-I'm sorry, Jack. You had something planned, didn't you…?" she asked, ashamed.

Jack was about to go off about _why_ he didn't have any, but instead chose to keep himself reserved, "N-No, I was just going to make dinner for us here at home, nothing special," he lied; it was special to him.

"Oh, okay. Well, like I said, it should only be about an hour or so. You can start dinner without me if you're hungry. I'll be back as soon as possible, okay?" Ashi responded with a little more enthusiasm this time.

Jack tried his best to emulate that enthusiasm as he stared at the nearly finished stir fry, "Okay…! Then I… guess I'll see you soon…?"

Ashi nodded to herself on the other line, "Yeah! See you soon, Jack. I lo—" she was cut off by her Father, suddenly turning on the radio in the back of the limousine, "Ashi, have you seen all the fancy buttons back here?" he asked excitedly, dashing her courage to say the forbidden phrase.

"Uh, never mind. I have to go, bye!" she blurted quickly before hanging up, leaving Jack staring blankly at the simmering dish on the stove.

"Bye…"

/

"An hour, hour and a half, tops."

Those were the exact words used by Ashi's Father to coax her into attending his press conference. A promise she so foolishly accepted as truth, without any regard for the extenuating circumstances she has so far encountered.

But the excursion turned out to be twice as long as she expected, with new questions being thrown at her Father left and right, a ceaseless barrage of trivial facts and information that Ashi couldn't connect to any form of politics. Were these really the kind of questions they asked at a press conference?

Ashi didn't even get why AKu wanted her there so bad, rarely did any of the questions pertain to her in the slightest. But that didn't stop him from bringing up some irrelevant anecdote about her and her sisters once and a while, really driving home the concept of him being a family man. If anything, she was a prop at this point.

It's not like Ashi didn't try to leave; she made an attempt to walk out before the conference was finished, catch a cab back to her and Jack's apartment. But there were several police officers blocking the exits, none of them being the one she knew personally. Apparently, the outside of the courthouse was surrounded by angry protesters, and she was prohibited from leaving for her own safety. Ashi tried to argue her capability of defending herself from such a mob, but the cops weren't having it.

But finally, after _three_ _and a half_ hours of twiddling her thumbs in the audience, AKu's attendants came into the audience to collect Ashi, leading her out with the rest of his entourage. As they walked to the limousine, the mob of angry protesters lining the way alarmed Ashi; Jack clearly wasn't the only one with gripes about her Father.

Speaking of Jack, Ashi wasn't nearly as excited to see him as she was earlier. Given that she had been at the press conference for twice as long as she told him she would, and basically missed Valentine's Day, Jack had good reason to be upset.

But Ashi's Father was right, Jack was an understanding guy! He wouldn't be too mad… right?

Quarter after ten, and the limo finally got dropped Ashi off at her apartment. Quietly, she stepped up the stairs and walked up to her door, taking a deep breath before turning the knob. The first thing Ashi saw as she slowly opened the door was Jack, watching TV on the couch with a displeased expression on his face. He didn't look up as she stepped into the apartment.

"Hey…" she greeted him hesitantly while moving towards him, but kept a generous space between them, "Uh… I know I'm late but, happy Valentine's Day!" Ashi smiled sweetly.

Jack's eyes shut for a moment, "Oh, is it still?" before darting accusingly at Ashi, "I wasn't sure if you would be back before midnight," causing her expression and shoulders to fall simultaneously.

"Jack, I am _so_ sorry. I know you must be upset with me," Ashi lamented as Jack got up and moved past her towards the kitchen, "Look, whatever you had planned for us today, we can do it all this weekend instead. On me."

Grabbing a class from the cupboard, Jack shook his head as he opened the fridge; "Oh sure, and then right before we're about to leave, we'll find out that AKu is throwing a parade for himself right in front of our apartment, and we won't be able to go anywhere!" he huffed, pulling out the water pitcher and filling his glass.

Ashi squinted, "Wait, so… is this not about me missing Valentine's Day…?" she asked.

"No, it's…" Jack cut himself off at her incredulous expression, "I mean, it is; but it's about the _reason_ you missed it, and that's because of AKu! He ruined everything I had planned for today!" He crossed her again, this time moving to the sink as she rolled her eyes.

"Here we go! Jack, I'm sure that's not what my Dad was trying to do when he asked me to go to his conference. It was important to him that I be there, and he told me it wouldn't be that long," Ashi explained.

Jack turned on the faucet, and began washing both the cup he just drank from and his dish from earlier that night. He scoffed, "Okay, so he lied to you... again! And it wasn't just you; I had much more planned for us tonight, but AKu sabotaged all of it, one way or another. He ruined my reservations at World Bazaar, his conference cancelled the show we had tickets to…"

"Are you insane? Your plans don't work out, so you automatically blame my Father? Do you know how ridiculous that is?" Ashi pleaded in disbelief.

Jack didn't turn from the sink as he replied angrily, "No, what's ridiculous is how you refuse to see that your Father has it out for me—for _us_! And I'm not just going off my own bias, Reggie and Damien both name-dropped AKu when I tried to set everything up. I _know_ he was behind it!"

"Do you?" Ashi stepped closer, challenging his assertion, "And how exactly would my Dad know about the play we were going to see, or the restaurant you wanted to make reservations at? I _know_ he isn't spying on us anymore, so how did he know, huh?"

Jack shut off the faucet and turned around to face her aggressively, challenging her right back. "Because of _you_."

"What…" Ashi was appalled by the accusation at first.

"You've been speaking to him a lot lately, haven't you?" Jack grilled her intensely.

"Well, yes. What, I'm not supposed to keep in touch with my own Father?" she shot back.

"He might not be spying on us anymore—he probably still is, by the way—but AKu still gets _whatever_ information he wants, _however_ he wants; even if its disguised as casual conversation! I bet he asked you all about your favorite restaurants around the city, maybe one I'd decide to take you to for Valentine's Day?" Jack cast a finger at her, flinging drops of water.

Ashi wanted to refute his accusation, but remembered that she did in fact disclose that information to her Father, which she reluctantly admitted; "I… may have discussed those things with him. But only because he asked!" she said defensively.

Jack crossed his arms, "You see? He doesn't even need to spy on us anymore because you'll just willingly tell him anything he needs to know. But it's fine! If he's asking, that just means he cares, doesn't it? Such a loving and thoughtful Father!" he mocked firmly.

Ashi turned away, rubbing her temples, "Jack, I get that you're upset—you have every right to be—but I am _not_ going to have this argument with you again…"

Jack reached backwards and aggressively snatched the hand towel hanging on the left side of the sink, "No, you're right. We clearly won't get anywhere from discussing this further," he dried his hands as he glared at her, "I can see your mind is already made up on this." Jack tossed the towel back on the hook, but it didn't catch, and Ashi watched as it crumpled onto the counter.

Ashi sighed, "Look, Jack, I…"

Jack cut her off, and spoke without looking back, "I'm going to bed. Dinner's in the fridge, the plastic container on the bottom shelf. There's… plenty left." He started towards the hallway, but stopped as he placed his hand on the kitchen doorway.

Without moving the rest of his body, he turned his head slightly, "By the way, happy Valentine's Day," he said quietly, and then he was gone before she could reciprocate. The room was now silent, save for the background noise of the TV left on in the other room.

Ashi noticed the ladybug plush sitting on the kitchen counter, in between a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates, staring at her in scrutiny. She looked down at the floor for a moment, assigning to herself the blame for ruining the holiday. As much as she wanted to believe Jack, doing so would forsake her Father's credibility, and she just couldn't do that. Her past fears were now starting to become reality: that she would have to make a choice between the two of them. If she didn't soon, their relationship was bound to give.

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in a while, so she took Jack's advice and grabbed the container of leftovers from the fridge. She took her own plate from the cabinet and served herself some, microwaving it for a couple minutes, then sat down and started eating. It was delicious, she could only imagine how good it tasted fresh. Mostly though, Ashi just wished she wasn't eating alone.

/

The second Tuesday of March was cloudy and gray. A dreary atmosphere loomed in the air as AKu stared out over the city from his office window. Stroking his goatee, he hummed in contemplation as his assistant lounged on the couch on the left side of the office, scatting under his breath.

"What to do…" AKu grumbled, just loud enough for Scaramouche to overhear.

"What's left to do, Boss? You've put them in a tough spot financially, they're always arguing about you, and now you're pulling Ashi away for some political event every other day," he counted off on his fingers, "Their relationship is hanging by a thread, babe."

AKu didn't turn around as he answered, "Indeed, but that thread isn't going to cut itself. I need one last scheme to break them up for good, something that will destroy both their relationship, and the Samurai in one fell swoop. But what…?" he mused, continuing his thoughtful hum.

Scaramouche touched his chin, "Well, what else matters to the Samurai besides loving your daughter and hating you? There's that karate thing they're trying to get started…"

AKu exhaled through his teeth with uncertainty, "Nnnnooo, if I make a move against their shared business venture, Ashi might actually catch on—I mean, if she hasn't already, I don't think she ever will."

"Okay… how about his parents? You could, uh… do something with their mortgage…?"

"Why bother? They're already living in one of my apartment complexes. Not to mention, the Samurai wouldn't hear about it for a while."

"Sheesh, what else is there? Maybe… you could hire a handsome stranger to seduce Ashi, and make Jackie jealous…? Would she even go for that?" Scaramouche wondered aloud.

Suddenly, AKu was struck with a burst of inspiration. He turned to his assistant slowly, speaking at a similar speed, "'Handsome stranger', you say?"

Scaramouche perked up, "Oooh, I know that look! You got something brewin' in the ole' noggin, babe?" The assistant began to rise from the couch as his boss moved towards his desk.

"I certainly do… but first, let me tell you a story," he took a seat in the swivel chair as Scaramouche sat eagerly across from it, "A few years ago, I was trying to get my hands on a rare jewel that was on exhibition—this one, to be exact!" AKu held out his left hand to show off the extravagant ring with a square blue gemstone he was wearing. "Anyway, the Samurai was hired to personally guard the exhibit. I knew none of my usual thieves…"

"Don't you mean, 'misappropriation associates'?" Scaramouche jokingly interrupted.

AKu chuckled, "Oh ho, right, right! _Anyway_ , I know none of them could handle a job like that. But being the strategic expert that I am, I devised a guaranteed plan to steal the jewel from right under the Samurai's nose! I hired one of my usual associates to steal it as a decoy, expecting him to eventually fail. Meanwhile, I reached out to my, er…" his eyes drifted to the right as his face contorted slightly in discomfort, "… _estranged_ sibling, to distract the Samurai with her, 'feminine charm'. Once he let his guard down, she drugged him unconscious, and snuck back into the exhibit to replace the jewel with a fake. To this day, nobody—not even the Samurai knows that _I_ have the real jewel; _he_ was left especially dumbfounded the next day, waking up to find that the women he had spent the entire evening with had vanished without a trace. He has no idea that she duped him like the foolish Samurai he is!" AKu broke out into maniacal laughter, delighted at the thought of his adversary's capacity to be deceived.

Any other person would have been startled by his outburst, but Scaramouche was so used to it that he hadn't even broken his train of thought, which he vocalized once his boss stopped cackling. "So, you've got this hot sister who you used to seduce the Samurai once before, and now you're going to have her come back in the picture to raise tensions between him and Ashi; that what you're getting at, babe?" he asked as his index finger snapped from his chin to point at AKu.

"You're close, but not quite. I don't expect the Samurai to waver in his loyalty to Ashi, an admirable quality indeed; but just like his hatred of me, that loyalty will prove to be his undoing!" AKu raised his clenched fist in a villainous declaration, then the aforementioned jewel on his finger caught his eye.

Lowering his hand to get a closer look, he grinned at his reflections in the ring, "You see, the jewel was not the only priceless thing she stole that night…"

/

The sake bottle and two ceramic chokos were placed down in front of Jack, but he hardly needed the second one.

Tonight, it was just him. Scotsman, who was usually available on Saturday nights, was asked to cover one of his coworker's patrol shifts; if Jack was still out when he was done, Scotsman said he would meet up with him.

As for Ashi, she was at a fundraiser banquet at a local hotel for her AKu's campaign, the seventh political event she had attended since Valentine's Day. Despite their consistent fights about it, she had offered to take him along as her plus one; but Jack knew she didn't think it was a good idea, and he agreed, so he elected to spend the evening at Da Samoorai's Pad.

There Jack sat, alone at the bar with a full bottle of sake, trying not to think about the increasingly fragile relationship he found himself in, when a long-forgotten voice spoke up behind him, "You going to drink that all by yourself, big guy?"

Jack turned around, and was shocked to see a tall slim woman with black hair, a mole on her left cheek, and piercing green eyes. "I-Ikra?" he stammered, dumbfounded.

The woman took the stool to his right, "You remembered my name, huh? I must say, that's awfully flattering!" she gushed, reaching for the bottle of sake. Jack made no attempt to stop her as she filled both chokos, and handed him one.

"Wha… What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to share a drink with an old friend, who I thought would be ecstatic to see me again! Show's what I know, right?" she joked before taking a big sip of sake, then gestured to the choko Jack was holding with her eyes as if to say, "What are you waiting for?"

He shook himself out of his stupor, putting the sake down, "Wait, this doesn't… I don't understand, how can you be so casual? It's been almost three years since the night we met. You… you vanished! I woke up, and there was no sign of you anywhere. Even the number you gave me, it was gone. I-I thought perhaps I was going insane…" Jack held his forehead, struggling to make sense of it all.

"Yeah, about that," Ikra picked up the sake she gave to Jack, handing it to him again, and this time he took a big gulp, "I'm sorry I left so quietly, I had no choice. You remember the story I told you? About my Father?"

Jack thought for a moment, and was able to remember what she had told him, "That he was forced to work in one of AKu's factories to make a living wage, yes?" As he recounted the story, it resonated with him once more.

Ikra nodded, "Well, the next morning, I got a call saying he had gotten into an accident at work. They said he was in stable condition, but that I should come see him right away." Her face became distant and wistful as she looked away, taking another sip of sake, "I wanted to say goodbye, but you were still out cold, so I left. I assumed you had my number and would call me, but I guess you lost it somewhere along the line…?" she looked at Jack with uncertainty, expecting him to fill in that blank.

"I, uh… I don't remember much of anything after a certain point, but I must have lost it somewhere between when I blacked out until when I came to," Jack rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "To be honest, I didn't think I had _that_ much that night. Perhaps I should be more mindful of how much I drink," he joked, pouring himself some more sake.

Ikra held out her own choko to be filled, which Jack obliged to, "Or at least have someone else around to mind it for you," she said with a wink, and she and Jack clanked cups before sipping simultaneously.

Jack suddenly remembered what Ikra had mentioned, "Wait so, what happened with your Father? Is he okay?"

She gave him an inquisitive look for a moment, then quickly remembered her own story, "Oh, right! He's fine now, he just had to spend about a year or so in a wheelchair," she dismissed with a wave. "But enough about me, how have _you_ been? A lot can happen in three years, I want to hear all about it," Ikra put her cup down and turned to face Jack on the stool, propping her chin on her hands and her elbows on her knees. "Are you seeing anybody?" she asked with a sly grin.

"Yes, I…" Jack started his sentence with a smile, but it fell into his own wistful stare as he remembered the predicament he and Ashi found themselves in. He finished his sake and placed down the choko, then began: "Her name is Ashi. We've been dating for about five months now, and for the most part, it's been wonderful. But, about two months in, I found out that her Father is… AKu," Ikra gasped at the name, "That fact alone should be a deal breaker, but…" he started to trail off.

Ikra picked it up, "But, you really care about this girl, and who her Father is to you doesn't change who _she_ is. Is that it?"

"Yes, exactly! I got to know her before I knew about her Father, and she is nothing like him; she's smart, and kind, and beautiful, and, and…" Jack grabbed the sides of his face in frustration, "…and I don't know what to do. As much as I… love her, I don't think we'll be able to reconcile our opinions about AKu. She refuses to see him for the monster he is, even though he's _actively_ trying to ruin our relationship! And the worst part is, for all his big talk, I don't think he actually cares about her! Even now, he took her to one of his extravagant galas to flaunt her around like he's this proud Father figure, when he's actually just using her to improve his image for his ridiculous campaign! How can she not see that!?" A refilled choko was held out in front of him, and he promptly snatched it from Ikra's hand and guzzled it down.

"I can see this has been weighing on you for a while now," Ikra remarked, pouring the remainder of the sake into her own cup, "Maybe we should do something about it then?"

"There's nothing we _can_ do, AKu is simply too powerful. I tried to fight his influence on my own terms, but it backfired. I was in a bad place before I met Ashi, and now he's trying to take her away and send me right back," Jack turned to rest his elbows on the bar, looking down somberly at the thought of his hopeless goal.

Ikra looked at Jack contemplatively, then placed her hand on his shoulder, "Jack, believe me, it isn't hopeless. Maybe you failed on your own, but who says you have to go it alone? Do you remember what a great team we made that night? How we foiled the jewel thief who snuck into the exhibit you were guarding?"

Jack smiled to himself at the thought of that night as Ikra continued, "Well, we're both here now, together again. What better way to spend the rest of evening than to make a move against the man that has made so many against us? Besides, we're out of alcohol," she quipped, upturning the sake bottle to have a couple drops fall out.

"That sounds great, but… where would we even begin?" Jack questioned, now intrigued by the proposition.

"That's actually what brings me here in the first place; that 'extravagant gala' you mentioned? My employer gave me intel that AKu is staying at that very hotel, and he most likely has with him top-secret plans, which would be in his room left completely unguarded while the gala is going on. All we would have to do is sneak into the hotel, find the room he's staying in, and those plans are ours!" she said with determination, clenching her fist.

Scotsman's words popped into Jack's head, "You know, my friend _did_ say AKu had something huge planned… If we got our hands on them, we could release them to the public, and expose AKu as the nefarious schemer that he is!" Jack said excitedly, getting caught up in the idea of finally striking back at his nemesis.

"Precisely!" Ikra responded, then smirked at Jack, "Now, what if I told you I could get us to that hotel in thirty minutes, or your political sabotage is free?"

Jack laughed at the joked, but then thought about the offer. While he was serious in his desire to stop AKu's climb to power, how would Ashi feel if she knew he was himself working to sabotage her Father? Surely, she would be disappointed if she found out what he was doing…

However, she refuses to acknowledge that AKu is doing the same; constantly manipulating her, trying to destroy their relationship. In that case, if she chooses to be willfully ignorant of her Father's misdeeds, then why should her boyfriend feel bad for fighting back? Especially if she doesn't know. AKu said it himself, they both want to do what's best for Ashi. The difference, Jack realizes, is that he actually meant it.

With a determined gaze, his eyes drifted up to meet Ikra's, "I'd say, 'What are we waiting for?'"

/

Ashi swished the wine glass around with her wrist, watching the blood red liquid lap around the inside of the glass.

This was either the sixth or seventh campaign event her Father had dragged her to, and she detested it as much as the previous ones. With no way to entertain herself, she was resigned to standing around by the drink table, watching her Father's wealthy constituents move around the luxurious ballroom.

Once in a while, Ashi would wander into a conversation with one of them, only to find whatever they had to say unbearably shallow and pedantic. The worst part was that every question they had for her was something about AKu, and where she stood on his platform. None of them treated her as her own person, but merely another aspect of her Father's campaign.

Clearly, her Father didn't mind the company. She could see him off in a more crowded part of the room, smiling and laughing; the center of attention. He fit right in with these people. So, why didn't she? As hard as she tried, Ashi never felt comfortable in the mold people had made for her. The only time she ever felt like she truly belonged was when she was with Jack.

The more Ashi thought about it, the more she wanted to leave this terrible place and run home to Jack. She wanted to stop pretending that she was this perfect accessory of a daughter that her Father could flaunt around. After all, he had six more that seem perfectly willing to fit that role, why did it have to be her? Perhaps this was something to be addressed to him…

"Sweetheart, you are far too lovely to be a wallflower." Speak of the devil.

A pair of spindly hands grasped Ashi's shoulders from behind, and she looked up to see her Father's upside-down face grinning down at her. Reflexively, she spun around and away to remove his hands and face him, and then respond, "Um, thanks."

AKu gave a sorrowful expression, "Darling, is something bothering you? You know how I hate to see my little girl sulking by herself, when she should be out and about, mingling with the kind of people that are suitable for the high-class woman she is!"

Ashi felt even more discomfort when her Father spoke of her that way, as if he knew her better than she did. "Dad, I… do you really think any of this is me? Why do you keep bringing me along to these things? This place, these people; it's all just frivolous nonsense! Maybe it's important for you career, but why do I have to be involved? Can't you just leave me out of it?" she looked up at him pleadingly.

"Ashi," AKu moved closer to her, "It may not look like it, but this campaign has been a constant struggle, full of trials and tribulations. This past year on the road has taken a tremendous toll on me, both physically and mentally. But do you know what keeps me going through it all?" he looked at her expectantly, pausing to wait for a response.

Ashi sighed, "No, what?"

"The thought of one day, being able to retire in the lap of luxury, with the knowledge that my political career left behind a better world for my wonderful daughters. All I ask is that they do me the simple favor of being present to support me in this arduous task that I have selflessly chosen to undertake, is that too much?" AKu was the one pleading now, and it made Ashi feel that she was being selfish.

"N-No, it isn't," she admitted, "You're right, being here for you is the least I can do, for all you've done already."

AKu nodded happily, "Exactly! I knew you'd understand, you're such a smart young woman!" he gushed, tousling Ashi's hair playfully, and she let out a small giggle.

But her smile soon fell again, and AKu took notice. "But…" he began, "Something _else_ is troubling you, yes?" Ashi nodded in response, and he sighed, "Let me guess… is it, _Jack_?" The name was especially emphasized coming off his lips, with a particularly hard end.

"Yeah, Jack," Ashi looked away, rubbing her arm. If there were ever a time to confront her Father on this, now was the time. She turned back to him, and struck a serious tone, "Listen, Dad, I need you to be one hundred percent honest with me: Are you trying to sabotage Jack?"

AKu looked away innocently, "Sabotage, eh? I don't get it, what do you mean by… ' _sabotage_ ', exactly?" he inquired.

"Well, you know that we've had a lot of misfortune with employment these past couple months, and Jack is convinced that you're to blame, which I think is ridiculous. On Valentine's Day, though, he told me you ruined his reservations at World Bazaar, and that your conference caused them to cancel the play he had tickets to—well, vouchers. He also accused you of bringing me to it so I wouldn't be able to spend it with him. That one I know isn't true, obviously, but the others sound… I want to say, convincing?" Ashi was struggling to find the words, both because she felt ridiculous repeating Jack's paranoid accusations, and because she was somewhat reluctant to bring this up to her Father.

AKu squinted, stroking his goatee with two fingers, then suddenly threw his hands up and confessed, "Okay, you got me. I knew if I held a conference on Valentine's Day, it would interfere with Jack's plans. But it was an afterthought, that's all! I had no idea about the play or the reservations; if anything, they were lucky guesses!" he chuckled, but Ashi wasn't laughing though, glaring at him with her arms crossed. Clearing his throat, AKu continued in a gentle tone, "You must understand, Ashi. As your Father, it is my responsibility to make sure that your, 'potential suitors' are, 'potentially suitable' for you. My obstructions weren't anything personal against Jack—although, I don't blame him for suspecting as much—I was merely testing his commitment to you, making sure that a few bumps along the road weren't enough to scare him off. Just as I anticipated, Jack proved to be a formidable companion, and you were indeed wise to choose him, my dear! From now on, no more interfering; you and Jack have my full support," he said with a wide grin.

Ashi was a bit peeved to know that her Father actually was working against them in some way, yet she was happy to hear his flattering words towards his nemesis. She moved in and hugged her Father affectionately, "Thank you for clearing that up, I feel a lot better now."

"Of course, my dear…" AKu smiled down at her, patting the top of her head.

Suddenly, a weaselly voice was heard nearby, "Hey, there he is, fellas!"

"Oh, no…" AKu said quietly as his eyes widened, causing Ashi to let go of and look up at him. She was about to ask what was wrong, when a group of noticeably diminutive gentlemen approached them. They all wore similar striped suits of different colors and hats, and the one in front had over it a brown overcoat with a furry collar. Just like Jack's coat, Ashi thought it looked painfully tacky.

The "leader" of the group spoke up, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the big boss man himself! Bet you're glad to see us again, eh?"

AKu rolled his eyes, "Oh, yessss…"

"I thought so," the small man nodded, "We would've contacted you sooner, except we didn't know you were back in town, see?"

"Yes well, that was the idea," AKu admitted nonchalantly, and the group of men chortled at the "joke".

"Still quite the card, eh? That's why you're the boss, see?" the man caught sight of Ashi standing next to AKu, "Say, who's the girl? New mistress, perhaps? I always knew you liked 'em young." Ashi and AKu both sneered at the gross implication.

"Actually, this is Ashi, my _daughter_ …" AKu corrected, and the group went tight-lipped for a moment. AKu turned to his daughter, "Ashi, these are some of my, er… associates. This i…"

"Don," the man interjected, outstretching his hand for Ashi to take, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ashi." With a forced smile, Ashi reluctantly shook his hand and greeted him back. Don gestured to the men with him, "These are the boys, see? Stitches, Mr. Shine, Knuckles, and Mr. Pibbles."

The lanky man addressed as Mr. Pibbles spoke up in the weaselly voice from earlier, "Well, actually my name's Joe…" to which Knuckles smacked him firmly upside the head.

"Anyway…" Don continued, "So, boss. We wanted to chat with you about your, 'future operations', see? We know you got a lot on your plate with this campaign, but you gotta look out for the small businesses, too, see?"

AKu rubbed the back of his neck, "Why, I'd love to talk business with you gentlemen, but unfortunately, I need…" he hastily looked around the room for an excuse to exit, "…I mean, the band needs my attention! Yes! You see, a few of the guests made specific song requests, and as the host of this event, it is my duty to accommodate. Ashi, why don't you entertain these gentlemen in the meantime?"

Ashi was about to protest her Father's request, but he had already scurried away, leaving her alone with the five, goofy gangster-types. Don looked her up and down, "So, ever thought about being a performer? But I mean a very _specific_ type of performance, see? You look like you'd be a natural." The other men nodded enthusiastically.

Ashi cringed; clearly, this was still going to be a long night.

/

Sneaking into the hotel where AKu's gala was being hosted wasn't difficult, as it was still open to guests and the general public. The only obstacle was finding the room AKu was staying in, which they accomplished thanks to Ikra. A handful of suited men that obviously worked for AKu's campaign were hanging around the lobby, so she pilfered one of their ID badges, and used that to get the room number from the front desk.

To the surprise of neither of them, AKu occupied the lavish penthouse on the top floor of the hotel, which was completely unguarded, just as Ikra described. There was a separate room in the back of the penthouse that functioned as both an office space and a small board room, equipped with a large screen for presentations; a long black wire connected the screen to a laptop computer sitting at the head of the round table.

"Okay," Ikra walked over and sat down in front of the computer, opening and turning it on, "Any plans AKu might have would be on here, so let's take a look."

But after booting up, the computer automatically showed a lock screen, requiring a password to continue. Jack sighed, "Great, how are we supposed to know what his password is? It could be anything."

"Go look around in the main room, maybe there's a clue in his belongings," Ikra suggested, and Jack followed the instructions, exiting the office. Once he was occupied by his search, she quietly entered the password her brother had given her: MALAISE. Ikra rolled her eyes as she sifted through the documents on AKu's computer, looking for a particular file. After a few minutes, she called to Jack in the other room, "I'm in, come check this out!" He quickly came running, and looked at the screen intrigued.

"That was fast, how'd you figure out the password?" he asked.

Ikra gave a naughty grin, "Oh, I have my ways." Before Jack could ask any further, she continued, "Anyway, I think I found exactly what we were looking for…" moving the cursor over a file listed, "TOP SECRET".

"Well, that's certainly convenient," Jack remarked, stroking his beard, "Why would AKu label something like that if he's the only one using this computer?"

"Maybe it's his porn collection? Either way, it's leverage against him," Ikra joked, and Jack chuckled at the consideration. She clicked the file, "Let's see what we're dealing with."

A smaller window popped up on the screen with a loading bar that progressed incrementally, only moving up a few percent each passing moment. "And now we wait," Ikra stated, leaning back into the office chair as Jack sat up against the table, looking off to the side.

The screen attached to the computer caught his eye. "Hey, maybe we should turn this thing on? Whatever these plans are, we'll have a better view of them on the big screen," he suggested.

"Oh, good idea," Ikra replied, picking up the remote to her right and turning around to aim it at the screen. With the push of a button, the screen booted up as well, and the smaller computer screen flickered before being replicated on the bigger one. The loading bar was only a third complete by now.

The sat in silence for a moment before Ikra spoke up again, swiveling excitedly to grin at Jack, "So! Tell me more about you and… what's her name, Ashley?"

Jack laughed, "No, Ashi. And what would you like to know?"

"Well…" Ikra's grin widened, "Have you two had sex?"

Jack suddenly thought back to a time when such a question would've made him hopelessly flustered and embarrassed. But that ended the night he and Ashi finally consummated their relationship.

Still, Jack's cheeks gained a slight red tint. "Yes, quite a few times, actually," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Even though we moved in with each other within the second month of dating, we waited until about our third to finally do it. It happened on Christmas Eve, and it was perfect. Neither of us really knew what we were doing, yet it still felt so natural, being with each other," Jack had visibly relaxed talking about it, his shoulders drooping and his face softening, "I had always heard that losing your virginity was nothing special; but for us, it was… magical."

Ikra had been looking at Jack thoughtfully throughout his monologue, then checked the status of the loading bar; still another forty percent to go. "Jack," she spoke up again, changing the subject, "Do you remember the night we met?"

Jack broke out of his euphoric trance, to look at her questioningly. "Of course. Only up to a certain point, I suppose. But yes, I remember," he answered, "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious, is all," Ikra cooed as she leaned forward, making the cleavage in her dress readily apparent, "What's the last thing you actually remember?"

Perturbed by Ikra's behavior, Jack began to reexamine the night in question. "Well…" staring intently at the floor in concentration, he spoke hesitantly, "I remember going down to the hotel bar, with you, after we turned over the jewel thief to the authorities. The only drink I remember vividly is my first, but I know I had at least two more after that, even though it's hazy. Beyond that…" After a moment, Jack pushed himself off the table and started wandering towards the big screen, "The next thing I remember is waking up in a hotel room, in a bed, and not wearing any…" he stopped, turned slowly to Ikra, who was still grinning, "…clothes."

"Getting warmer…" Ikra teased, finally standing up from the board room table, asserting the few inches she had over Jack, who started to step back towards the screen as Ikra slowly approached. She spoke in a slow, sultry voice, "But I think you can tell me more than that~," her mouth hung open ever so slightly, allowing her tongue to snake its way out and slide across her top lip. Her piercing eyes locked his in place, as memories began to flicker in his head.

Without warning, Jack was bombarded by acute and vivid sensations, causing his balance to falter slightly. He had seen those eyes; he had felt those lips; he had felt his back arch, and his leg muscles tighten as the pressure on his lower body clutched him so tightly, he felt he was going to burst. Jack might not have remembered that night, but his body certainly did. A sense of nausea overcame him, making his balance even worse, and he steadied himself against the screen; only ten percent to go.

"You…" Jack looked up from his slight hunch, casting his wild eyes at Ikra, "It was _you_ all along… you're the reason I don't remember what happened, _you_ did something to me. You…" Jack looked down at his shaking hands, just barely able to mutter the words, "…you had your way with me."

Hands on her hips, Ikra laughed, "'Had my way with you'? Oh please, the fact that I had something to work with means you willingly participated as much as I needed you to. You had your sword unsheathed as soon as we got back to the room, it takes two to tango, Jack…" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't understand, why would you do something like that!?" Jack shouted, "If you wanted to have sex, you could've just asked. You didn't have to drug me unconscious!" he was both confounded and furious at this point.

Ikra gave a patronizing smile, "Oh, Jack… I had fun playing hero with you, and believe me, we had a _great_ time with each other. But getting attached has never been in my job description. That's all you were, a job. And I'm good at my job."

Jack stared at her, almost at a loss for words, but managed to come up with, "What… What kind of job is that? Who would even hire you for such a…" but he didn't need to finish his sentence.

"You already know the answer to that question," Ikra said with a smirk; the load was complete.

"SURPRISE!" a familiar malevolent voice blared from behind Jack, causing him to swiftly turn around. There on the big screen was the grinning face of the man who had orchestrated everything; the entire reason Jack was standing here at this moment; the bane of his existence, AKu.

"Poor Samurai, always falling for the old 'fake plans' trap! You obviously have learned nothing from those poor goats you slaughtered. Not only that, you have once more been deceived by the clever tactics of the wily Ikra; I have employed her services to yet again exploit you like the foool you are!" AKu mocked as Ikra started to slip out of the room, "But it gets better… 'Ikra' is _not_ her real name. Her name is actually 'Isabelle Kurasawa'!" Jack's face went pale. His shoulders drooped again, and his mouth hung agape. He didn't even realize Ikra was already gone. AKu cackled villainously, "That's right, Samurai! You lost your virginity, not to my daughter, but to my _sister_! You and Ashi's first time wasn't special after all!" the cackling continued, as Jack's whole started to shiver. "Oh, and by the way: Everything else that happened—the jobs, the play, the reservation; all me! You were right all along, but no matter how hard you argue with her, Ashi will _never_ believe you; I have her wrapped around my finger, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Jack's hands tightened into fists, hanging tensely at his sides. "In fact, you won't be able to do much of anything, because security is on its way as we speak to arrest you for breaking into my room. I thought I wouldn't have to worry about you anymore after the last time, but you continue to be a thorn in my side, and I'm removing you once and for all! My only regret is that this is just a recording, and I won't get the satisfaction of seeing your reaction live as you learn that you've lost. Oh well, at least I'll get to see the look on Ashi's when I tell her aaall about how you got yourself arrested again! Good bye, Samurai…" AKu smiled as he reached to the right of the camera, maintaining the grin as he searched for the off switch. After fumbling around, he broke his gaze into the camera as he tried to figure it out, "Son of a… how do you turn this thing of…" and the video ended.

Just then, four security guards walked into the board room, looking at Jack as he kept his back to them, still staring at the blank screen. One of them stepped forward, "Alright, show's over, pal," he reached out to grab Jack's shoulder and pull him away, "Now, let's just do this nice and easy—GAH!"

Without warning, Jack snatched the man's wrist, turning to him with an intense glare. The security guard cried out in pain as his arm was twisted beyond its capabilities, causing the others to pull out their stun guns. Jack noticed this, and pulled the guard he was holding in front of him before they could shoot, striking their comrade all three times. Jack then tossed the man aside, disarming the other guards as the stun guns flew from their hands, still connected to the now incapacitated guard. Before they could react further, Jack advanced on them, striking the guard to his right with a high roundhouse kick across the face, then a powerful blow to the gut of the guard in the middle, and finally a succession of swift palm strikes to the guard on the left. All three fell hard on the ground, as Jack stood above them seething with rage.

"I heard struggling, you guys need a hand in…" another guard came running in from the other room, only to see his allies strewn about on the floor, "Here…?" Jack's head snapped in his direction, and the look on his face gave the guard a feeling of immediate regret.

/

"Aki!" Ashi called out to her sister from across the room, who turned around and smiled when she finally noticed. The two met in a friendly embrace, having moved past their Thanksgiving transgression. Ashi pulled away and looked at Aki fondly, "I didn't know you were going to be here, what brings you to Burlington?"

Aki moved a stray hair out of her face, "I'm recording at one of the studios here for my new album, but we don't have a release date set for it yet, so I'll mostly just be enjoying the downtime. I'll be here for at least a month, which means I'll probably end up taking few gigs while I'm here; just to keep myself busy, you know?"

Ashi smiled, "I'd love to come see you perform while you're here! In fact, if you're not busy, it'd be great to just spend the day with you, catch up on everything. I could show you all my favorite places around the city."

"Totally! I'd love to see you at one of my shows, I could hook you up with a backstage pass; I think you'd have an awesome time!" she exclaimed. "You could bring Jack along, too, if you wanted. Speaking of Jack, where is he?"

Ashi's smile fell slightly, "He didn't want to come, and to be honest, I thought it best if he didn't. Things have been kind of… rocky, between us lately, and him being around Dad would probably only make it worse."

"He and Father aren't getting along, I take it?" Aki said with a sympathetic expression.

Ashi sighed, "Something like that. We met with him the day after New Year's, and the way it went, I thought we weren't going to have any issues. But, after that, Jack and I started having a hard time finding work, and he was convinced that it was because of Dad. Then on Valentine's Day, Jack had this whole plan that was ruined by Dad's conference, and we had a fight about that," she wasn't making eye contact, looking at the floor while rubbing her arm.

"So, Jack thinks that every bad thing happening to him is AKu's doing, and you don't," Aki remarked, contemplating the predicament her sister was in. "Have you spoken to Dad at all about this?" she asked.

Ashi nodded slightly, "I brought it up to him, and he said that he—"

"Alright, I'm gonna stop you right there," Aki interrupted, shaking her head, "Ashi, do you remember what I said to you on Thanksgiving about Mom and Dad? Well, I should add that you need to take everything Dad tells you with a grain of salt. That man is, first and foremost, a politician; he's going to say whatever he needs to say to get his what he wants."

"You know, you sound just like Jack," Ashi remarked, somewhat critical of her sister's words.

Aki raised an eyebrow, "Yeah? Why do you think that is? Because Jack has firsthand experience with Dad's dishonesty. In fact, I'm sure a lot of the people you've worked for these past months have had some pretty strong opinions about him, and I doubt they were good." Ashi thought of at least four. "People all over have a bone to pick with AKu, and he gets plenty of bad press to go along with it. But you seem pretty convinced of Dad's good nature, do you really think all those people are wrong?" her sister asked.

"Not 'wrong', per say," Ashi remarked sheepishly, but still standing her ground, "It's just that they're only seeing one side of him, his public image; which in my opinion, isn't a good judge of character. To be fair, you're right; he's a politician, and that _is_ a big part of who he is. But underneath it all, he's still human, he's still our Father, and he is _not_ a liar… to us" she asserted, both to her sister and to herself.

There was a pause as Aki pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath. "Fine, believe what you want; but just know that if Dad _is_ messing with him, there's a good chance Jack will eventually try to get back at him, and there's no way it's gonna end well. That might actually be exactly what Dad wants."

Ashi shook her head, "You don't know what you're talking about, Jack isn't like that! He wouldn't act purely out of vengeance. He might have been bothered by Dad's 'schemes', but Jack is still a perfectly rational, understanding…" but a loud noise had interrupted her.

Everyone in the ballroom had turned to see the double doors swing wide open, and two guards come flying through and land on the floor with a hard thud. There in the doorway, looking ready to pounce, was Jack. "AKUUU!" he shouted violently.

"You're absolutely right, I don't know _what_ I was thinking…" Aki said sarcastically to Ashi on her left, who was staring at Jack in horror and disbelief.

AKu stepped forward from the crowd, and greeted Jack with a friendly smile, "Well, if it isn't my future son-in-law! Have you decided to finally accompany Ashi to one of my events? I must say, you look awfully underdressed for the occasion."

Jack suddenly burst into a full-on sprint at AKu, ready to unleash his fury, but stopped dead in his tracks when Ashi stepped in front of her Father, holding out her arms. "Ashi! Stand aside, this is between me and him!"

Ashi shook her head, "Not a chance! Have you lost your mind!? What made you think it would be a good idea to barge in like some wild animal!? Whatever's got you upset, this is _not_ the way to handle it!" she asserted. Her words struck a chord with Jack, and he stopped to take a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself…

But then AKu spoke up, "Ashi's right, Samurai! Too much stress will give you a _heart attack_ ," and they both turned aggressively at him, "I hear it runs in the family…"

"Dad, you're not hel—" Ashi's scolding was interrupted by Jack pushing past her, almost knocking her over.

Jack threw a right hook at AKu, only for him to weave under it to his left, to which Jack spun around and tried unsuccessfully to backhand him. "Ho ho, almost had me!" AKu teased, dodging a flurry of strikes, and continued to heckle and anger Jack. The crowd parted fearfully as the duo danced around the ballroom, AKu being the leader while Jack violently followed. After about a minute, Jack finally caught AKu with a punch straight in the face, causing him to stagger backwards and clutch his nose. He hissed in pain, "Grrahh… I hope that felt good, because it's the last time you're ever going to touch me!"

"We'll see about that!" Jack shot back, about to lunge in for another strike, but failing to notice more security guards arriving at the scene, drawing and readying their stun guns. "GAAHHH!" one of them stuck Jack right in the back, sending a painful electric charge through his body.

AKu smirked, "No, I don't think we will," he remarked, standing up straight and dusting off his suit.

But Jack had yet to succumb to the pain, shooting a determined scowl at his nemesis. Gritting his teeth, he started trudging over to AKu, holding out his arm to grab the fiend. AKu raised an eyebrow at the sorry sight, and gestured to the security guards, one of whom shot at Jack as well. He grunted in pain again, but kept at it, slowly staggering towards AKu's mocking grin. Another shot to his back, causing Ashi to cry out in horror, "That's enough!" And it was. Just as he had loosely grabbed AKu's tie, Jack could no longer keep himself up, and crumpled to the floor on his stomach.

The last thing he saw was Ashi's heels running up to him, and right before he passed out he could hear, in a mocking tone, "Goodnight, Samurai…"

/

Jack groggily came to sometime later, his entire body aching.

It took him a moment to register that he was in the back of a limousine, but had no idea where it was taking him. Ashi was there, too. Still in her gala dress, she was sitting to his left with her back to him as she stared out the window; recalling what had transpired before he passed out, Jack figured it best to save his questions.

Ten awkwardly silent minutes later, and the limousine had arrived at their apartment building. Ashi opened the door and stepped out without a word, and Jack carefully did the same; he felt a little better, but his head still hurt when he stood up. He followed her up to their apartment, and though he was able to keep up with her brisk pace, she clearly wasn't acknowledging his struggle.

Ashi unlocked the door, and stepped inside, getting as far as the kitchen doorway before stopping, her back still to Jack. The tension in the air was more palpable than ever as Jack stared at her, searching for the right thing to say.

"A-Ashi," he finally stuttered, "I owe you an explanation for what happened back there…"

Ashi turned swiftly to face him, "'Explanation'? No, you've been giving me the same explanation for months now, and I'm sick of hearing it. What you owe me is an apology for acting like a psychotic asshole!" her nostrils flared in anger.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but Ashi, just let me explain!" Jack pleaded, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

"What you did… I can't even begin to tell you how mad I am about this, and how completely unacceptable that kind of behavior is! It's one thing for you to be upset with my Dad—I get it, really! But him holding a press conference that inconvenienced you is not an excuse to start a fistfight! Honestly, I don't know which is pettier!" Ashi shouted.

Jack shook his head, "It's not just about the conference, he…"

But she cut him off, "Yes, you were right, Jack! My Dad _did_ have it on Valentine's Day to mess with you, he told me earlier tonight! But you know what? His heart was in the right place, because he was looking out for _my_ well-being, because that's what a Father does!"

Now a little annoyed, Jack retorted, "Oh really? Well, from what _I_ heard—"

Ashi ignored him again and kept going, "I don't know why you can't just accept that he cares, in a different way than you do! Maybe even a better way, since he's not throwing punches over some silly…"

"I was _raped_!" Jack blurted angrily.

Ashi went silent, processing what she had just heard, and Jack took the opportunity to elaborate; "Three years ago, I met a woman while I was working security at an exhibit. Together, we stopped a thief who was trying to steal the jewel that was on display. Afterwards, we went to the bar for a drink, and she drugged me unconscious, and then…" he trailed off, becoming nauseous just thinking about it. "But that woman… not only was she hired by AKu, she was his sister; _your_ Aunt! She violated me!" Jack looked her straight in the eyes as he aggressively explained.

Ashi didn't react beyond blinking occasionally, but then finally bowed her head and closed her eyes. She didn't look up when she spoke, "Jack, I don't have an Aunt."

Jack was astonished by her response, "Are you sure about that? You don't think your Father might have some estranged relatives he never told you about?"

"No, I don't!" Ashi asserted, "I've asked him before about my relatives, and he told me that he was an only child! If he _had_ a sister, he would've mentioned her to me!"

Jack was gripping his hair in frustration, resisting the urge to pull it out of his head. "No, he wouldn't! Why can't you get it through your head that AKu is _not_ the honest man you think he is!? You're not stupid, you've seen the things he's done; he's pure evil! Why are you so committed to denying it!?"

"Because if he's evil, then what does that make me!?" Ashi screamed, no longer trying to restrain herself, "You know how I feel, I've only ever been compared to my Father, lumped in with everything he does! If he's such a bad guy, then I must be no good either, because I _can't_ get away from that!"

"Ashi…" Jack's expression softened, Ashi's confession had calmed him a bit. Suddenly, he grabbed her shoulders desperately, "Let's skip town! Right now, we can just pack our things and leave, start over somewhere else!"

Ashi looked away, "Jack, we can't…"

"Why not?" he continued pleading, "We can be together, just you and me, and finally escape AKu's grasp…"

Ashi pushed away from Jack's hold, "That's just it! We _can't_ escape; not just me, we! You almost getting arrested again is proof of that! No matter where we go, AKu would be there waiting for us."

"But, what if we…"

"You said it yourself, there is no hope; he's the master of masters!"

"I was wrong, we can't just accept that! We have to fight back!"

"Are you even listening!? There IS no fighting back! This isn't a game; if it is, AKu has already won!"

"No, that's not true…"

"You _know_ it is!"

"No!"

"Yes! There is nothing we can do! Not even the Samurai has a chance against him!

"Don't say that…"

"It's the truth, and if you think it isn't, you're a _fool_!"

Jack flinched at the insult, and all of his anger welled up at once, causing him to shout "You know, you sound just like your _Mother_!"

Everything stopped.

Ashi's expression changed from rage, to shock, to sadness, to nothing. Without another word, she turned and walked quickly down the hall, ignoring Jack's calls after her. She made a left into the bedroom, shut and locked the door. Jack groaned angrily, clutching his face as he went over to plop down on the couch.

After about five minutes, he heard the bedroom door open, and looked over to see Ashi walk by carrying luggage in both hands, wearing a jacket over her dress. Jack shot up from the couch and ran over as she gripped the door knob, "Wait, you're… leaving?"

She froze at the door, still turned around as she replied quietly, "It's for the best. This was a mistake from the beginning."

"Ashi…" Jack reached out and touched her shoulder, only for her to whip around and face him angrily.

"NO! You were right, I'm _am_ just like my Mother. When I was younger, she tried to keep me from knowing about my Dad; the same way I kept him from you. But it was no use, he's always going to be a part of my life, and nothing is going to change that," Ashi relented, her lip quivering as she turned to finally open the door.

"I'm a daughter of AKu. That's… all I'll ever be," she said softly, walking out.

Jack stood there speechless for a moment, before yelling out into the hallway from where he stood, "Fine, just go!" He slammed the front door she had left open, then his fists against it, finally resting his head against it, and sliding down to his knees.

"Just… go."

/

"Hey, it's me," Ashi talked into her phone, walking down the street.

" _Hello, dear,_ " her Father answered softly, " _Is everything alright?_ "

"I, uh…" Ashi bit her lip, unsure what to say about what happened, instead choosing to change the subject, "Listen, can you pick me up from… Jack's place?" she asked somberly.

" _Yes, of course. I'll send a limo to you right away,_ " AKu responded quickly in a sympathetic tone.

"Okay, thank you," her voice cracked. She stopped walking when she got to the corner of the street.

There was a pause, then AKu spoke up again, " _Do not feel sad, Ashi. You made the right choice._ "

Ashi turned around and looked wistfully back down the street she had walked, watching to see if anyone was coming out of the apartment. "I know…" she sighed, speaking to herself mostly. "So, yeah, I'll be waiting on the corner. Thanks again," she squeaked out.

" _You're welcome, darling. See you soon,_ " AKu dismissed from the other end.

"Bye," Ashi hung up, putting her phone in her jacket pocket. She stepped off the sidewalk onto the street, then sat on the curb with her bags at her sides. Taking one last look down the street, she was now sure that Jack wasn't coming after her.

The coast was clear, she could finally let it go. Tears immediately started flowing as Ashi hugged her knees and sobbed into her arms.

—END CHAPTER 15—

/


	17. The Make Up

—CHAPTER 16—

It was a beautiful spring morning. Birds sang from up in the blooming trees, filling the otherwise silent streets with sound. Pink and orange sunshine shone through the slits in the closed curtains of Jack's window. The scene might have been a pleasant way to wake up for anyone else; but for Jack, who had barely slept that night, the sunshine was instead a rude awakening.

Three weeks had passed since the breakup with Ashi, and Jack was not coping well at all. Only a few days into it, he was already trying to get in touch with her. He didn't care about AKu, or Ikra, or any of that; he just wanted to see her again, to hold her and tell her how sorry he was for making a fool of himself.

Jack tried all week to contact Ashi, but to no avail; his calls, texts, and voicemails all fell on deaf ears. He spent hours in front of her old apartment, hoping she might turn up, but she never did. There were a handful of campaign events she might've been at, but Jack would be stupid to try and get into those.

He actually did try to get into one of the events, but quickly abandoned the venture, fearing that it might be another trap.

Out of options, Jack resigned himself to his new single life, hoping it wouldn't be so bad. However, now in a familiar situation, he quickly remembered why he was so miserable before he met Ashi. Burg-eoise was another dead-end job, and without a second paycheck each week, Jack was financially stagnant.

He didn't even bother seeing if his friends were hiring, seeing how his name was all over the news once again; many of the people who had witnessed his episode the night of the gala had phones with cameras, and were more than willing to document the incident. To make things worse, a few news outlets recognized Jack, digging up old dirt on his first arrest. Fortunately, AKu stated in an interview that he would not press charges against Jack, saying that, "Having to live with such a hateful heart is punishment enough for the Samurai…"

Jack would normally be seething at such an outrageous statement, but his anger had already withered and burnt out. With nothing left to sustain it, he was back to being a shell of his former self; only this time, a bigger part of Jack was missing, and it filled him with despair. He eventually stopped going to work, and leaving the apartment all together; his personal care suffered greatly, including his eating, grooming, and sleeping habits; any alcohol he had left didn't last long.

If his life continued like this, Jack felt that he wouldn't last very long either.

/

 _The moonlit air was abuzz with the sound of owl hoots and cricket chirps. Several autumn leaves blew past Ashi on a cold breeze as she came to a clearing in the woods, and gasped at the sight in front of her._

 _There, bathed in an eerie green glow, stood a graveyard that stretched out into a dense fog. With some trepidation, Ashi pushed onwards. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing here, only that she could feel something inside her, calling her to this ominous place. Navigating the towering tombstones of the cemetery, she finally came upon a familiar face that she was elated to see. He was kneeling in an open area amidst the graves, eyes closed as if he were meditating._

 _"Samurai!" Ashi called out to him, but he didn't react. As she moved closer, she noticed the short blade laid down in front of him, "Jack…?"_

 _Suddenly, a clopping sound caught her attention, and Ashi looked to her left to see the silhouette of a warrior on horseback trotting out from behind the tombstones. The warrior dismounted his steed without touching the ground, and floated over to Ashi, intimidating her with his impressive stature._

 _The floating warrior bellowed in a husky, deep voice, "You may witness, but you cannot proceed any further."_

 _"Witness… what?" Ashi asked carefully._

 _"The end."_

 _Ashi looked up at him in shock, realizing what was about to take place. Just then, four ghostly Samurai emerged from their graves, each gathered around Jack in a cross-legged position. The warrior turned away from Ashi to greet the apparitions._

 _"Great warriors of past, I welcome you," he moved in position behind Jack, drawing his sword, "This Samurai has failed his purpose, and has accepted his fate." The Samurai spirits watched silently as Jack slowly picked up the blade in front of him, while the floating warrior held up his own weapon in preparation._

 _Ashi's eyes widened as Jack turned the blade towards himself, grabbing the hilt with both hands, and steadily bringing it up above his head. She couldn't let him do this; without any further hesitation, she charged forward towards Jack, hand outstretched, and screamed—_

/

"STOOOP!" Ashi shot up from her bed, reaching her hand out to…

She then realized that it was only a dream, and brought her hand in to palm her face in frustration. Ashi looked over to her nightstand to check the time, and upon seeing that it wasn't even nine, fell back onto her pillow with an exhausted sigh. That was the fourth time this week she dreamt about Jack, and it was the worst one yet.

After Jack's outburst at the gala, Ashi's Father pulled her aside to explain that he wanted her to break up with him, worried her association with him would hurt her reputation. She protested, but then AKu gave her an ultimatum: If she didn't end their relationship, then he would follow through with pressing charges, and make sure Jack was put away for a long time. Not wanting to see Jack go to prison, Ashi mulled the choices over in her head the entire ride home. Only after they had their fight, and Jack said what he said, did the decision become painfully clear.

The very next day, Ashi deleted Jack's contact from her phone; she couldn't bring herself to block his number, but his calls and texts over the next week were ignored, and eventually they stopped. She never went back to work at Burg-eoise, or even set foot in the establishment again, afraid she might accidentally see him. Having moved out of Jack's place, Ashi was now living in the hotel penthouse AKu was staying at the night of the gala. It was bought out indefinitely just for her, so she wouldn't be living in her old apartment. Ashi thought that was a little extreme, but her Father insisted; he didn't want her having any _unwelcomed_ visitors. All ties with her now ex-boyfriend were severed.

Officially, Ashi was doing perfectly fine without him. She had spent the last three weeks busying herself as a full-time daughter of AKu. Always by her Father's side at campaign and press events, smiling and waving, "AshiKu" had become an honorary celebrity; she was now being mentioned along with her Father in every news report, and her social media accounts blew up overnight; she was now the second most well-known daughter of AKu.

Behind the scenes, however, Ashi's newfound fame did not reflect in her attitude. Now resigned to her fate, she no longer questioned her Father's actions, obediently following along with whatever he did or wherever he went. It was her duty, after all, to be a supportive daughter, and help with his campaign in any way she could. Her opinions didn't matter, even if thousands of people on Tweety apparently wanted to hear it. The part of Ashi that always screamed for independence had gone silent.

After lying there for another hour or so, Ashi finally dragged herself out of bed and into the shower. She took her time cleaning herself, savoring the sensation of the hot water pouring over her skin; it wasn't until her fingertips were wrinkled that she finally decided to finish up.

Ashi wrapped herself in her towel to remedy the chill she had gotten from getting out of the shower, drying her body starting at her feet, and working her way up to her drooping head of hair. Running the towel back and forth, she pulled it off the side of her head to reveal her dry but disheveled hair in the mirror, finding the messy look oddly appealing. Somehow, it felt more natural than the signature style she had worn her entire life, and she was tempted to leave it as is. But she reconsidered, grabbing a hairbrush and molding her hair into its usual pointed appearance. What would her Father think of such a drastic change?

Lazily, Ashi then put on her clothes for the day, and prepared to head over to her Father's office. She was now visiting him every other day at least, as it was only a short bus ride from the hotel she now lived in to his workplace. He would discuss with her the next political occasion she was needed to attend, what she would have to wear, what she would have to say, and to whom she would speak. Whatever it was, Ashi would do it without question. Father knows best, after all.

Once she was ready, Ashi instinctively went to grab her ladybug charm bracelet from the small table by the door, but recoiled her hand, stopping herself. With a sigh, she opened the front door and walked out into the hall.

/

Jack stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring blankly at his reflection. The man looking back at him had clearly been neglecting his appearance, as his long hair and beard have grown unkempt and scraggly. Picking at a few loose strands of hair, Jack closed his eyes and thought back to a time when he minded his untidy appearance:

 _"Jack, stop moving," Ashi lightly scolded, running the electric razor along the side of his face._

 _Jack giggled, "Sorry, it tickles."_

 _After another minute, Ashi cheered, "Done!" and Jack looked up from the black hairs all over the sink to see himself. His long hair and bear looked noticeably cleaner, hanging down from his head with not a single strand out of place, and the conditioner she had him use gave it an impressive sheen._

 _"Huh, not bad…" Jack thought out loud as he turned his head side to side for a better view, amazed at the huge difference made by such small changes._

 _Ashi stood next to him in the mirror, hands on her hips triumphantly, "See, what did I tell you? You look fresh!" she said with a wink and a thumbs-up._

 _"_ Fresh _…?" Jack raised an eyebrow, unfamiliar with the expression._

 _"Yeah, 'fresh', like… new, or good looking. You've never heard that before?" she looked up at him inquisitively._

 _Jack touched his chin, "I have, but only in reference to food…" he gave her a playful look, "I guess that makes me, 'cool as a cucumber', wouldn't you say?"_

 _Ashi stared blankly at him for a moment, before finally losing it, wrapping her arms around him from behind as they both laughed heartily._

Jack opened his eyes, and the vision of he and Ashi in the mirror faded back into the sad reflection staring back at him once again. With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes again and hung his head low.

" _Pathetic!_ " a harsh voice startled Jack, and he looked up to see a different reflection looking back at him in the mirror. It resembled his Samurai persona, except it was a deep red in color, and had terrifyingly exaggerated features. " _Your self-pitying nonsense disgusts me! How long are you going to just sit around and feel sorry for yourself!?_ "

"I-I, uh…" Jack stuttered in response, completely baffled by the interrogative questions.

" _She's gone; so what? That girl was holding you back, distracting you from your true purpose!_ " the raging apparition leaned forward with a clenched fist, popping out of the mirror at Jack, " _This is your chance to do what you were born to: Destroy AKu!_ "

Jack shook himself out of his daze, "What? No, that's what got me here in the first place!"

Red Jack crossed his arms and hissed, " _So try again! You're still here, you can still fight! AKu must think you've already given up, now is the perfect time to strike back, and do it right!"_

"You're wrong…" Jack leaned on the bathroom counter, looking away from his alter ego.

" _That girl_ never _believed in you, she was always one of AKu's pawns!_ " Red Jack pointed an incriminating finger through the mirror, " _You'll be getting back at her, too!_ "

Jack shot back, "I don't _want_ to get back at her; she didn't do anything! Everything that happened was my fault…" he locked eyes with Red Jack, " _Your_ fault. You're anger, frustration; _you_ are the reason we're alone again!"

Red Jack got in his face, "I _have kept us alive! If it weren't for me, you'd have given up a long time ago!_ "

"No! I've let you consume me for far too long. You are not welcome here anymore!"

Red Jack scowled, " _Don't be absurd, you cannot get rid of me that easily! Complain all you want, but no matter what you do, I'm all you've got…_ " Jack's glare collapsed as the words resonated with him, recognizing how truly alone he was.

A loud knock at the front door pulled his gaze away from the mirror, and when he looked again, Red Jack was gone. With a sigh, Jack stepped out into the hall and went to answer the door. In the back of his mind, he hoped Ashi would be on the other side.

But, of course, it wasn't.

"I got somethin' to say to you, ya bone-headed, snivelin', gutless sad sack!" the large Scottish man spat at Jack immediately after he opened the door. Scotsman was one of the first people to find out about the breakup, having called Jack right after seeing the news reports on him crashing AKu's gala. The news was a shock to him, and he immediately started working towards cheering up his friend, but it was no use; that phone call weeks ago was their last interaction, as their weekly outings had stopped all together.

Jack stared blankly at him, accepting that this surprise visit was an inevitability. "Hello, friend. Haven't seen you in a while," he greeted half-heartedly.

"No kidding!" Scotsman replied curtly, "Look, Laddie, I sympathize with what yer goin' through; If anything happened between me and my darling wife, I'd be a mess, too! Maybe not _this_ bad, but…" he caught himself trailing off, "Anyway, _you_ need to pull yourself together, and I'm here to make sure that happens! So, go put some clothes on, because you and me are heading out tonight; we're gonna find you a brand new bonnie lass to get you back on yer feet, just like last time! What do you say?" Scotsman asked, looking at Jack enthusiastically.

His depressed, half-naked companion looked away with a reluctant expression, finally shaking his head, "I'm afraid I have to decline… sorry. Not feeling up to it right now," he mumbled.

But Scotsman wouldn't have it; "Oh, no! I don't want to hear no whiny excuses! No more mopin' around, you're never gonna get over Ashi if you don't put yourself out there!" he insisted forcefully.

"What if I don't want to get over her? What if that's impossible because I'll never have what I had with Ashi again?" Jack shot back, raising his voice slightly, "Ashi was… everything I ever wanted. Every good thing that has happened to me in the last seven months has been because of her. She was perfect, and now she's gone. All because I let AKu manipulate my emotions. I thought vengeance was the answer, but it just led me into another trap. I'm right back where I started, only this time…" his head drooped, and he leaned against the door frame, "I had more to lose…"

Scotsman looked at Jack disapprovingly for a moment, who wouldn't meet his eyes. Finally, he let out a huff, "Fine! If you want to wallow in your misery, I suppose I can't stop ya. Maybe _you_ won't come to your senses, but _she_ might," he wondered aloud as he started down the hallway.

For a split second, Jack was about to call out after his friend in protest of his intentions, but then realized there was no point and stopped himself. Not like Scotsman would be able get in touch with Ashi anyway, right? Retreating back into his apartment, Jack closed the door and sealed himself off from the world once more.

/

The crowded bus rumbled and shook as it barreled down the street, causing Ashi to steady herself in her seat. Only recently had she started riding it again, having to get between her new abode and her Father's office, but quickly discovered that she didn't miss the experience. The only part of it Ashi enjoyed at all was being able to watch the scenery go by outside the window, yet the view was already becoming tiresome to her.

As Ashi stared absentmindedly out the window, a loud engine approaching brought her to attention. A motorcyclist was steadily passing the bus, and she gazed eagerly through the glass to see who it was…

Nope. Just a normal biker, wearing a leather jacket with a red and white bandana on his head. She sat up from the window in disappointment, only for a head of long black hair sitting a few rows in front of her to catch her eye. Ashi stared at the back of their head for a full minute, trying to get a look at the person's face, only for them to finally turn around to reveal a very… androgynous female, not at all who she was hoping to see.

Ashi sighed, twice now expecting to see Jack, only to realize how foolish she was for thinking he would be there. Why did she even _want_ to see him? She had already accepted that their relationship was over, and she was supposed to have moved on already; and yet, Ashi couldn't keep him out of her head.

Her "bus" of thought was interrupted by a whiny voice three seats ahead, "Why do we have to see _that_ place? We have an AKu building back home!"

The pair of tourists, a man and a woman, had been chatting loudly for a while now, but only caught Ashi's attention when they mentioned her Father's office. The man looked at her with a raised brow, and spoke condescendingly, "Yes, but the one here is the original, and arguably the most impressive. Plus, this is the best chance we have of seeing the _Samurai_."

Now they really had Ashi's attention. The woman continued to complain, "Yeah, right! Don't you watch the news? Everyone says he disappeared again after he assaulted AKu, nobody's seen him since."

Ashi obviously hadn't kept tabs on Jack after the breakup, ignoring his calls and messages; but from what she was hearing, it seemed that Jack was no longer communicating with _anyone_. It made her sad briefly, until she reminded herself that his well-being was no longer her concern, and went to fish out a pair of earphones from her purse to drown out the couple's gossip.

The rest of the trip was only long enough for a song and a half, as they soon arrived at Ashi and the tourist couple's destination. When they stepped off the bus, the tourists wandered around the plaza with their cameras, hoping to see the Samurai lurking around; meanwhile, Ashi made her way to the front entrance of the building, quietly doing the same.

Jack was nowhere to be seen, but still occupying Ashi's mind. It wasn't until the elevator doors opened in front of her did she abandon any hope of seeing him, stepping inside and tuning out the world once more.

Her meeting with her Father went smoothly—at least, that's how it seemed. Sitting perfectly still, Ashi was barely cognizant of anything. Her eyes wandered as her Father and his assistant bantered back and forth; their mouths moved, and their arms made grand gestures, but all Ashi heard was white noise.

"Ashi," her Father looked at her, "Did you get all that, dear?"

Ashi's empty gaze met his, "Yes. You have a conference tomorrow, eight o'clock. You want me to come with you to keep up appearances, and to answer questions at the end," she answered dryly.

AKu glanced uncertainly at his assistant, who shrugged in response. "Uh, yes, precisely! Just checking to see if you were listening," he explained, snapping his finger and pointing a finger pistol at her. "So yeah, that's all I had to talk to you about today, but…" he glanced at his watch awkwardly, "I still have about ten minutes… anything you want to… talk about, sweetie?" AKu gave a half-hearted grin, not sure what to say to Ashi in this state.

"No, that's okay," Ashi shook her head slightly, standing up, "I know you're busy, so I'll leave you to it." Grabbing her purse from the back of her chair, she moved around the desk to give her Father a quick hug, then moved to the elevator and stepped in without another word.

"So long, dear! See you tomorrow!" AKu called after her enthusiastically, but Ashi didn't react. Once the doors shut, he exhaled and fell back into his chair as his assistant moved to sit where Ashi was, across from his boss' desk.

"Sacré bleu, talk about a killer mood! That girl has some _serious_ apathy goin' on, babe," Scaramouche mused with his arms and legs crossed in his seat.

AKu was resting his chin on his hands, "I know…" he said somberly at first, but then his tone became excited, and his hands landed hard on the desk as he leaned forward, "Isn't it _amazing_? All I wanted was to get her away from the Samurai; and now, not only is he out of my hair forever, Ashi is now the perfect, obedient daughter I've always wanted! Breaking them up was the best decision I ever made!"

"Sure was, babe!" Scaramouche nodded, uncrossing his legs but not his arms, "It's funny, you were so worried about their relationship at first. I mean, rebellious daughter falls for righteous vigilante; a Father's worst nightmare! But it turned out to be exactly the opportunity you needed! Shame she's so bummed about the breakup though."

AKu responded with a dismissive wave, "Eh, she'll get over it. This was an important lesson for her: Relationships do not last. It's all part of life's sweet sorrow. Now, she is free to focus on the things that are _truly_ important," he remarked while pulling out his laptop and opening it on the desk. "It's like I always say: Break a woman's heart, and she's yours _forever_!"

Scaramouche stared inquisitively, "But… didn't Jack technically break her heart?"

"No, he…" AKu raised a finger, but it fell limp as he mulled over his response, "Okay, yes, but he _wouldn't_ have it if it weren't for _me_ ; therefore, _I_ broke Ashi's heart, and now she's mine," he explained triumphantly, while clicking something on his computer. A moment later, a recording of AKu's voice came up through the laptop speakers, shouting, " _SURPRISE_!"

"…You're watching it again, aren't you?"

"Don't you judge me…"

/

On the way out of her Father's office, Ashi sent a text to her sister to tell her the meeting was over. Aki offered to pick her up after the afterwards, as it was her last free day in Burlington, and she wanted Ashi to come hang out at the studio one more time. Her last show was tonight, then tomorrow Aki was on a plane to the next stop of her tour.

As Ashi made her way back across the plaza, she temporarily resumed scanning the area for any sign of Jack. Again, all she saw was the obnoxious tourist couple that was also looking for him. Ashi had given up the search when she got to the street, but quickly discovered that someone had found _her_ instead.

"Afternoon, Lassie," Scotsman was leaning up against his police cruiser parked on the curb, arms crossed, with a displeased expression on his face.

Ashi grimaced, knowing what was about to happen. Three weeks ago, if she ran into Scotsman on the street, he would greet her with a rough pat on the shoulder, and some raucous, yet friendly banter. But now that she was on bad terms with his best friend, through whom she was acquainted with Scotsman, all Ashi expected from him was yelling and Scottish insults being thrown at her. "What are you doing here?" she asked cautiously.

Scotsman pushed off the vehicle and got close enough to look down at Ashi. "I'm here for an explanation," he spoke in his intimidating police tone.

"Explanation…?" she asked with more curiosity this time.

"Aye, an explanation as to why you haven't spoken to Jack since the break up! That man has been sulkin' day and night, all because you won't even give 'im the time'a day!" Scotsman explained, crossing his arms again.

Ashi looked away in shame, muttering, "That's none of your business."

"Yes, it is! Jack may not be my partner anymore, but he's still my best pal and comrade, and that means I have to look out for him! The same goes for you, Ashi; _you're_ my friend, too!" Ashi looked up at Scotsman again, surprised by his sentiment. Her solemn gaze threw him off; with a sigh, he continued, "Look, I know the lad messed up, but I also know that the two'a you really do care about each other. You and Jack can resolve yer issues, but that's never gonna happen if you won't talk to each other about them!"

Ashi replied with a sigh of her own, "It's not that simple. I'm AKu's daughter, _all_ of our issues are because of who I am. I thought Jack would be able to look past that, but I was wrong. We're… incompatible."

Scotsman's glare had returned, with an incriminating finger accompanying it, "Now, you and I both know that's malarkey! You been crazy about each other from the beginning! What changed!?"

"You don't remember? Jack didn't know about my Father until recently, _that's_ what changed," Ashi asserted.

"Oh, I remember! I remember because Jack told me after he found out, that he was worried your Father would take advantage of your relationship; and from what I've heard, that's _exactly_ what he did!" Scotsman bellowed.

"Okay, no! All my Dad did was schedule a press conference on Valentine's Day, that's it! I don't know what Jack told you, but I guarantee you he was exaggerating!" Ashi retaliated.

Scotsman crossed his arms again, "So, you admit your Father interfered?"

"…Yes, but not in the way Jack accused him," she corrected warily.

"And you don't suppose maybe your Father lied about it?" his eyebrow popped up again.

"No!" Ashi asserted, but then perceived the gaping hole in her argument, which she scrambled to fill, "I know he's been… dishonest about other things… but I'm his daughter, he's always told _me_ the truth."

"So, you think _Jack_ is lying, then."

"N-No, that's not what I said!" she stammered

Scotsman shrugged, "Well, you said that your Father wouldn't lie to you. If what Jack says is different from what _he_ says, then that must mean Jack is lying. Do you think he's lying?"

"I… I don't know! Maybe he just… remembered things wrong," she turned away, arms crossed.

"You think so?" Scotsman mockingly held his chin in contemplation, "Well, that would make sense actually. After all, it's difficult to remember _anything_ after being date raped."

Ashi immediately snapped back in Scotsman's direction, staring daggers at him, "Don't…"

"I'm just saying, it's the only reason Jack would be wrong, since you don't think he's lying about it."

"Scots…"

"But that still leaves the question of how he found out what happened to him…"

"No, it doesn't!"

"Sure, it does! I mean if your Father's not lying, and _Jack's_ not lying, then maybe Jack just got molested by some random broad."

"Stop!"

"What? That just means that no one is to blame for this whole mess. No harm, no foul, am I right?"

Ashi covered her ears, tightly clutching the sides of her head.

"You should feel relieved; least it wasn't yer Aunt or anything…"

"SHUT UP!" she finally exploded, and Scotsman surprisingly obeyed.

Ashi turned away again slightly, covering her mouth and holding back tears. After a brief silence to regain her composure, she spoke up again, quiet this time. "Look… I don't know what Jack went through, and I'd like nothing more than to be there for him… but it just can't be that way! I have a responsibility to my Father—to my family. If I have to sacrifice my own happiness… then so be it," she affirmed, her voice wavering.

They stood silently for a moment like that, until Scotsman finally spoke up again, "You've got it backwards, Lass. Sure, sometimes you have to give up things you care about for family's sake; but this ain't one'a those times! If yer Father _really_ cared the way you _think_ he does, he wouldn't have a problem with Jack."

Ashi didn't respond, nor did she turn back to face her friend.

"Or, think of it this way: When did you and Jack start having problems? When Jack found out about AKu, or when AKu found out about Jack?"

Just then, a pitch-black limousine rolled up next to them. Ashi moved to open the limo door, and took one last glance at Scotsman, who watched her solemnly; neither of them said another word as she stepped into the vehicle, which drove off as soon as the door was shut.

"Hey, sis!" Aki greeted, pulling Ashi into an enthusiastic hug that she tried her best to reciprocate. Aki glanced out the rear window at Scotsman, now walking back to his police cruiser, "What was that about? Did you get into some kind of trouble?" she asked.

"No, no," Ashi shook her head, "That was… an old friend. A mutual friend, that I haven't spoken to since Jack and I broke up."

Aki perked up, "Oh! Let me guess: He told you he had a crush on you, but he was always holding back since you were dating his friend?" she laughed, "That shit happens to me all the time!"

Ashi looked at her incredulously, "What? No, he… he wanted me to talk to Jack again, try and work things out… but, I just don't see the point in that."

"Well, the point is up to you in that case. You could talk to him just to see how he's doing, make sure he's okay; or maybe you're hoping he _isn't_ …?" Aki said hesitantly, trying to coax an explanation out of her sister.

"No, not at all! I just… I don't think Jack and I are really compatible anymore, is all," Ashi explained, turning to look out the window.

Aki scowled at her sister's unconvincing response, feeling she might have given Ashi too much credit as a liar, "That's too bad, you guys were good together."

"Things change, it just wasn't meant to be…" her sister muttered, as Aki turned to look out her own window.

"Yeah, I guess not."

/

Scotsman dropped the thick stack of papers onto his desk, plopping into his seat with a huff. It was now quarter to midnight, yet he still had a mountain of forms and paperwork to fill out.

After failing to convince both Jack and Ashi to get in touch with the other, Scotsman had spent the remainder of his time on duty performing the police equivalent of grunt work—speeding tickets, parking violations, and fender benders were not the ideal way to spend his afternoon, and now his evening had to be spent reporting all of it.

He was about a third of the way done with filling out his reports when the telecom on his desk buzzed, and the voice of the station's receptionist came through, "Hey, Scott. Someone's looking for you up front."

That's odd, Scotsman thought; he didn't get many visitors on the job, especially not at this hour. "Alright, tell 'em I'm comin'," he responded dryly, standing up wearily from his desk. A quick stretch, cracking his own back, and he headed for the reception area of the station.

On the way there, Scotsman wondered if maybe Jack had finally snapped out of his depression, and wanted to talk to him about their next move. Alternatively, maybe Ashi changed her mind about seeing Jack, but wanted to speak to Scotsman about it first. At this point, either possibility was welcome.

As he passed through the doors into the reception area, however, a familiar face awaited him, but with an unfamiliar twist. The girl looked like Ashi except for her hair, which reminded him of a horseshoe instead of an onion. If this was some sort of disguise, it wasn't a very good one.

Scotsman approached the uncanny stranger, "So… what can I do for you?" he asked suspiciously.

The woman looked at him with a serious expression, "I hear you're a friend of the Samurai…"

/

It was half past two in the morning, according to the green glow of the digital clock on the nightstand. Sighing, Jack rolled over so that he was facing the bedroom wall. He shut his eyes tightly as if it would put him to sleep faster, but he knew it was in vain; as exhausted as he was, Jack was in for another sleepless night.

" _Look at you..._ " Jack could hear his own voice behind him, and suddenly Jack felt a presence standing over his bed. Looking up groggily, another twisted Samurai stood there looking down at him disapprovingly. This one was blue, and calmer than the last, but even more distorted. It pointed a wicked finger at him, " _You've survived worse. Are you just going to lie here forever?_ "

Jack didn't respond, instead turning back over to face the wall again.

The blue Samurai sat at the foot of the bed, " _Oh, what a shame. The only person you have left is yourself, and you won't even talk to him,_ " the apparition lamented.

"You are _not_ me," muttered Jack from under the covers, muffling his words.

" _No, but I was,_ " the twisted Jack smirked, making grand gestures with his hands, " _You used to be a hero, a noble warrior that put honor and righteousness above all else. It was your destiny…_ " then he held his forehead in frustration, _"But you became careless. Distracted. You let lust cloud your judgement, and now it has stripped you of your dignity._ "

"It wasn't lust!" Jack sat up angrily, "I loved Ashi… but I put my pride first, and look where it got me! I thought being the Samurai was the most important thing, but it means nothing to me without her…" his head fell into his hands.

Blue Jack stood up again, shrugging, " _So, what will you do then? Are you going to reclaim your destiny; or just mourn this loss for the rest of your life?_ "

"I… don't know," Jack sighed, hugging his knees.

There was a brief pause, then his twisted alter ego crossed his arms and closed his eyes, " _Hmm, how unfortunate. Well, do what you must. I can't stop you…_ " he said blankly, as Jack fell back onto his bed, finally starting to doze off.

" _But I will say this:_ " the blue Samurai's words echoed in Jack's head as his eyelids fell, and he drifted off to sleep, " _If you can't accept failure, maybe you're better off dead…"_

/

 _Scotsman's eyes went wide, "Oh, so you were the one who tried to pass of as Ashi; Jack told me all about that. I actually thought you were her when I first saw you."_

As she stepped through the front doors of her Father's office building, Aki was reflecting on the conversation that took place the night prior between herself and her sister's ex-boyfriend's friend, "Scotsman" (she couldn't believe he actually called himself that).

 _"So, why should I trust you then? Maybe yer just tryin' to get with Jack now that he's single!" he crossed his arms, looking down at her judgmentally._

The man at the front desk greeted Aki with his usual phony enthusiasm, influenced by her status as both a celebrity and his boss' daughter, directing her to the main elevator. Without another word, she stepped in and pressed the button for the top floor, her Father's office.

 _"I don't care about that, this isn't about me," Aki asserted, "This is about my sister; I care about her, and I want her to be happy. That's how you feel about your friend, right?" Scotsman was taken aback, but nodded in agreement._

Aki took a few deep breaths, anticipating the elevator to complete its ascent.

 _"Whatever my Dad did to Jack, I want to help make it right."_

At last, the doors opened, and Aki stepped out onto the bright red carpet. Her Father sat at the end of the room, smiling at her with his hands interlocked. "Aki, darling, it's so good to see you again!" he gushed, "After the gala last month, I thought I'd have to wait at least half a year to see _you_ again!"

Aki gave a plastic smile, "Yes, well, I _am_ a busy woman, after all."

AKu chuckled, "Of course, of course! I know you keep a very strict schedule, just like your Father! I actually have much to do in preparation for my conference tonight, but I'm always happy to put time aside for you, dear."

"I know you are, Dad…" Aki said as she took the seat across from his desk.

A hush fell over the room for a moment, as the two of them stared blankly at each other. AKu was the one to finally break the silence, "So, er…" he tapped his desk awkwardly, "Is there something you wanted to talk about, or…?"

"Why yes, actually!" Aki perked up, "I have a question for you…"

 _"What we need to do is get a confession out of my Father, and show Ashi that he's been playing them both the whole time. I think I can get it out of him, but I would need some help getting a recording of it. That's where you would come in," Aki pointed at Scotsman._

"Did you have anything to do with Ashi and Jack breaking up?" Aki asked her Father earnestly; she could see his eyes widen ever so slightly, a telltale sign of his guilt that she had caught onto long ago.

"Well…" AKu's eyes rolled back mischievously, touching the tips of his index fingers "I… may have pulled a few strings, here and there…" then waved his hands dismissively, "B-But, it was only out of concern for her well-being! I knew the Samurai wasn't right for her, so I merely… sped things along!"

 _Scotsman thought for a moment, "Well, if it's a recorded confession you want, one already exists according to Jack._ That's _what drove him into that frenzy at the Gala! AKu probably got rid of it by now, though."_

AKu looked at his daughter pleadingly, "You understand, darling, yes…?"

 _"Even better! If I know my Dad, he's definitely got a copy of it still. Probably watches it to stroke his ego," Aki said with a smirk, "If he's got it, I can get it from him."_

Aki smiled brightly, "Of course, I do. You're right, they weren't a good match. I saw it right from the beginning, that relationship was doomed to fail."

 _"I_ am _a daughter of AKu, after all."_

AKu smiled at her response, "I knew you would agree, Aki! You were always the brightest of your sisters, and your career success is a testament to that!"

"Oh, I already knew that. But thanks, Dad!" Aki replied, slipping comfortably into her façade, then tactfully shifting the subject back, "Although, now that the Samurai's out of the picture, Ashi could end up pretty successful herself! Speaking of which, I'm dying to know: How did you do it?"

Her Father gave her a cheeky look, swiveling his chair around, "I'm sorry, I cannot reveal to you my methods! I have to keep _some_ secrets, you know!"

Aki batted her eyes at the audacious response, then turned up the charm as she pressed further, "Come ooon~! How am I ever going to learn from you if you won't even show me your ways? I tried this whole 'doppelganger thing' on Jack at Thanksgiving, but it didn't work out; how'd you finally get him to crack?" she asked inquisitively.

AKu chuckled as he spun back around to face her again, "Oh yeah, I heard about that! Good stuff, by the way. Now, what I did was _three years_ in the making. I pulled a fast one on him a long time ago, and the fallout of that night ended up being the key to my plan. The night of the gala, he found out that—actually, you should just watch this!" he cut himself off to take out and open up his laptop, logging in excitedly, "I lured the Samurai into the hotel, and once I had him right where I wanted, I played this for him…" he clicked play, turned the laptop around to show Aki, and lounged back into his chair as his own voice boomed from the laptop computers deceptively powerful speakers, " _Surprise!_ "

There it was. All of it. Every little thing AKu did to spite Jack being recited by the man himself; a rare moment of honesty from the mouth of a liar. Although Aki barely flinched at any of the things her Father was proudly admitting to, she knew how wrong they were. It took her until recently to realize that she had always known what was wrong, but only now did she actually have the guts to choose the opposite.

Once the video ended, Aki looked up to see her Father staring at her expectantly. "Can you imagine the Samurai's face when he saw this!? Not getting to see it was literally the only complaint I have with how the whole thing went, couldn't have gone better!" AKu boasted.

"Definitely, this video is…" Aki searched for the right words, not to describe how she felt about it, but to get the right reaction out of her Father, "…is a work of art! Yeah, I don't think I could ever pull off something like that!" she gushed.

"Sure, you will!" AKu scoffed, "You're my daughter! It's just a matter of taking advantage of trivial things; like love, and loyalty!"

"What about lust?" Aki added.

"That too!" AKu snapped his fingers and pointed, then added with a laugh, "Basically, any L word is fair game!"

"You know, you're right!" Aki declared, standing up in faux determination, "I just have to be more like you, manipulating anyone foolish enough to succumb to their pitiful emotions! It's just like in the music industry—nobody wants to hear another bleeding-heart crooning about break ups! They just want a shallow, upbeat earworm they can dance to! People are just cogs in a machine where there's no room for feelings!" she turned around, holding her arms out dramatically like she had seen her Father do numerous times.

"Yes, _exactly_!" AKu cheered proudly, enchanted by his daughter's manipulative spectacle.

Aki turned back around, "So! I should probably get going, the next stop of my tour awaits! But before I go, do you think I could get a copy of that video? It's simply too good to not have, you know?"

Her Father nodded, "Oh, of course! One moment…" he then pulled out a flash drive from his desk, plugging it into his laptop before spinning the computer back to face him. After a several clicks, AKu disconnected the drive, and held it out for his daughter, "Here you are, dear!"

Aki snatched it enthusiastically, "Thanks, Dad!" gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and practically skipped to the elevator. She turned around after stepping into the elevator, and waved goodbye to her Father as the doors closed. Once the car started descending, she clutched the flash drive close to her chest and let out a deep sigh.

Her limousine was waiting outside for her as she exited the building, and she quickly opened the door and got inside. "I told you I could get it," she said to the large Scottish man sitting beside her, dropping the flash drive into his hand, and then starting to remove the recording device hidden under her shirt.

"Aye, well done, Lassie!" Scotsman cheered, removing his headphones before taking the wire from Aki, "With all this dirt, we can finally expose that scoundrel for the liar he is! The whole world's gonna know the truth!" he said as the limousine started moving, headed back to the police station to drop off its extra passenger.

"Oh, no. Nobody else is going to hear this. Just Ashi," Aki replied casually, already looking at her phone.

Scotsman looked at her dumbfounded, "Wha… Are you mad, woman!? People _need_ to see this! I thought you wanted to stick it to your Father? _This_ is the way to do it!" he held up the flash drive

With a sigh, Aki broke her gaze away from her phone, "Listen, I made it clear from the beginning that this was only about Ashi. I'm trying to help her out; nothing more. This whole, 'resistance' thing you got going on, that's _your_ business. I, for one, am _not_ trying to get on my Dad's bad side."

"Oh, really? And how do you think you're Father's going to react to finding out that _you_ told Ashi the truth, huh? I'm sure he won't be too happy about that," Scotsman remarked.

Aki didn't look away from her phone this time when she replied, "You act like I don't have a plan for that, too."

Scotsman scoffed, "You really are AKu's daughter."

There was a brief silence before Aki spoke up again, "Yeah, I am..." Scotsman's remark had hit a nerve.

Although Aki tried her best not to show it, Scotsman picked up on her reaction. "Lass, I… I didn't mean it like that."

"No, you're right. As much as I hate to admit it, my Dad and I are a lot alike," Aki admitted quietly. "That thing I said earlier; about people not caring about important things? I wasn't just playing a part, I was speaking my mind. The way my sisters and I were brought up, feelings _never_ mattered. Our Dad was always touting the importance of money and things, and that's all we've been brought up to value. My entire career has been built on that! I'm not a musician, I'm not an artist, I'm a businesswoman, I sell people what they want to hear," her voice had gotten progressively louder as she ranted, "Not Ashi, though. She was always… different, somehow. She never bought into our Father's teachings; she wanted more out of life, and to find her own way. I mean, that's how she found Jack. She follows her heart, and… I always wished I could be like that," she said wistfully, staring out the window.

Scotsman's hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to turn and look at him as she said with a smile, "It's never too late, Aki."

Aki smiled back softly, "Thank you."

"Besides," he held up the flash drive again, "You're off to a good start…"

/

The sound of raindrops on the window at the end of the hall were the only thing amidst the deafening silence of the apartment, as Jack shuffled from the kitchen into the bedroom.

After a lackluster dinner consisting of instant ramen noodles and a piece of toast, he was planning to lay in bed for the rest of the night, even though it was only eight thirty; but as he passed the doorway into his bedroom, Jack found himself gravitating towards a particular pile of clothes on his dresser, the only organized stack in the otherwise disastrous room. It was a pile of all the things Ashi had forgotten when she moved out: a couple shirts, some socks, and a few unmentionables were the only trace of her left in the apartment.

Suddenly, Jack remembered one other memento she had left behind, the drawing she had made for him back in November. Ashi's original character, who she intended to tie into Jack's Samurai persona, resembled her enough that Jack considered the illustration to be his only physical picture of her, placing it down on his nightstand as he sat on his bed. He stared at it, motionless for a full minute, before snatching the drawing again, opening the nightstand drawer and shoving it into it.

Jack was about to close the drawer when a gleam caught his eye; curiously, he reached in to investigate, pulling out a pair of scissors. Having been buried in the back of the drawer for ages, the stainless-steel sheers were rarely used, as sharp as the day he bought them. Almost hypnotically, he wandered over to the mirror above his dresser; staring himself in the eyes, he lifted the scissors up to his neck, gently pressing them against his throat. If he wanted to, it would be so easy to…

Snapping out of his trance, Jack dropped the scissors abruptly, stepping back from the mirror in shock. He wasn't paying attention to the nightstand behind him, accidentally backing into it; his whole body was shaking, so he turned around to steady himself on the furniture.

" _It's time to end it, don't you think?_ "

Looking up from the nightstand slowly, Jack turned around to see yet another Samurai phantom staring back at him from the mirror. This one was blue, but unlike the previous iterations, his proportions were completely normal.

Speechless for a moment, Jack quickly picked up the scissors and put them back in his nightstand, as he replied quietly, "I don't know what you're talking about." He shut the drawer and turned back around, only to be startled by his alter ego standing right in front of him, no longer separated by a mirror.

" _Don't deny it!_ " the phantom demanded, " _There's no hope, there's nothing to fight for! How much longer can you keep this up?_ "

Jack sat down on his bed with a sigh, "There's nothing to 'keep up'! This is just…life; I'm _living_."

The blue Samurai scoffed, " _You call_ this _'living'!? You are merely existing, subsisting on some false hope that things will change; but we both know that isn't going to happen._ "

"I can't just give up on the people I care about," Jack shook his head, "What about Scotsman, and my parents? What about Ashi…?"

" _Oh, so_ now _you care about giving up? You've already abandoned them,_ " the phantom counted off each finger, " _Scotsman reached out to you and you shut him down; your parents couldn't rely on you anymore, so they learned to get by on their own; and Ashi…_ " he knelt down, looking straight on in Jack's face, " _You think she would even care if you were gone?_ "

Jack clutched his head, "Quiet!"

" _NO!_ " his hallucination refused, getting even closer to Jack's face, " _I won't spend another minute in this pathetic state!_ "

"What do you want from me?" Jack quietly pleaded.

The Samurai bowed his head, answering just as quietly, " _I want it to end…"_ he looked back up at Jack with a despairing look, " _Aren't you tired? Wouldn't it be great to be free from all of this? If your friends and family knew of your suffering, they would_ want _you to end it._ " As the alter ego spoke, Jack reopened the nightstand drawer to his left, stared at the scissors for a moment, then moved them aside to see Ashi's drawing again. The Samurai went up next to him, " _And Ashi…_ _would she even find out?_ "

Jack looked up at his alter ego's words, then noticed his cell phone sitting on top of the night stand. Picking it up, he scrolled through his contacts to find Ashi's name, and hesitantly hit the call button.

" _You're wasting your time, she won't answer,_ " the Samurai scolded.

"I have to try," Jack answered confidently, putting the phone to his ear. Expecting a response, he turned for a moment, only to find that the Samurai had vanished. Alone again, he took a deep breath as the line rang, only to be greeted by Ashi's voicemail. Even though she didn't pick up, it felt good to hear Ashi's voice, telling him that there was still a chance she might hear his words if he left a message.

It was a chance he had to take. After the beep, Jack held the phone away from his ear to take a deep breath through his nose, then brought it back and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Ashi, I…"

/

"You're on in fifteen, Miss Kurosawa. Can I get you anything while you wait?"

"No, thank you," Ashi blankly dismissed the stage hand who had poked her head into the dressing room where she was waiting. The conference had started at seven thirty, and it was about an hour in by now. She was scheduled to come out and answer questions herself at the halfway point.

Sitting in front of the lighted mirror, wearing her family's traditional black dress, Ashi was sifting through notecards her Father's campaign manager had given her to study; no matter what the press might ask, she was to say no more than what was written on the cards, which was all generic comments on AKu's character and policies. Ashi didn't really care, as long as it meant she didn't have to think about what she was doing.

Suddenly, her phone sitting on the countertop beeped, telling her that she had a new email. Ashi dropped the notecards down and lazily picked it up, scrolling over to the mail app. Her sister, Aki, had sent her something.

Curious, Ashi opened the email and quietly read to herself, "Hey, sis! Wish you were able to see my final show in Burlington last night, I couldn't have asked for a better closing performance! I got one of my roadies to record the final song, I think you should check it out when you get the chance! That's all for now, talk to you soon! Love, your favorite sister, Aki." Ashi playfully rolled her eyes at the closing line, and clicked on the video attached to the email. It looked short, so she figured she would be able to finish it before the conference started. After a brief loading screen, the video popped up:

" _SURPRISE!_ " her Father's face abruptly appeared on the screen, startling Ashi; not at all what she was expecting. Did Aki send her the wrong video or something?

" _Poor Samurai, always falling for the old 'fake plans' trap! You obviously have learned nothing from those poor goats you slaughtered,_ " her Father taunted. Wait… Samurai? Ashi was now even more confused, watching the bizarre video with her mouth agape.

" _Not only that, you have once more been deceived by the clever tactics of the wily Ikra; I have employed her services to yet again exploit you like the foool you are!_ " Now she was beginning to understand; this video must have been intended for Jack to see. Had he already seen it? And why was Ashi seeing it now?

" _But it gets better… 'Ikra' is not her real name. Her name is actually 'Isabelle Kurasawa'!_ _That's right, Samurai! You lost your virginity, not to my daughter, but to my sister! You and Ashi's first time wasn't special after all!_ "

Ashi's face went pale, as everything suddenly clicked in her head. This video was the reason Jack snapped at the gala. Everything he had told her—about her Father, her Aunt, and what she did to him—was all too true. AKu had lied to his daughter's face, and she bought it completely. Jack was right all along about her Father, and what he said next erased any doubt in her mind.

" _Oh, and by the way: Everything else that happened—the jobs, the play, the reservation; all me! You were right all along, but no matter how hard you argue with her, Ashi will never believe you; I have her wrapped around my finger, and there's nothing you can do about it!_ "

The cell phone fell to the floor as Ashi felt like she was going to throw up, hunched over while clutching her abdomen. A torrent of emotion had swept over her: anger, sadness, frustration, guilt, all swirled about in her head. Instead of butterflies, furious wasps were buzzing about in her stomach.

All this time, Ashi was trying so hard to be a good daughter, and her Father was using that to turn her against Jack. He had been manipulating her from the very beginning, and though the evidence was right in front of her all along, Ashi willfully ignored it.

She finally sat up again, catching sight of the note cards on the counter, and her reflection in the mirror. Ashi was ashamed to see that she had become exactly what her Father wanted her to be: a tool to improve his image. Wearing only what _he_ suggested, regurgitating everything _he_ wanted her to say; she had completely forsaken her hard-won independence. Ashi was no longer looking at herself, but a mere puppet, and AKu was the one pulling the strings. Everything about him that Ashi valued, and everything that she thought _he_ valued meant nothing to him. All of it was simply leverage he had over her, and now she had become his "perfect daughter".

The more she thought about it, the more the anger within her overtook the sorrow. All she wanted to do now was confront him; tear into him about what an awful, manipulative person he was. After furiously ripping up the cards, Ashi marched out of the dressing room and down the hall, and found herself in the stage left wing, looking out onstage at the podium where her Father was speaking.

Before she could angrily step out from behind the curtain, a stage hand pulled her back. "Miss Kurosawa! It's not time for you to go on yet," the stagehand whispered.

Ashi was about to protest, but then she realized: If she went out there right now to confront him, she would be exposing his personal affairs to the press—nay, the world. If she did that, would she be any better than those political opponents he warned her about, trying to ruin his reputation? Maybe he deserved it, but enacting vengeance like that would only be giving into her own reputation as his daughter. Reluctantly, Ashi decided to be the bigger person in all this.

A reporter in the audience then threw out the next question, which caught her attention: "AKu, what's your take on the Samurai's disappearance? Your nemesis is considered Burlington's most famous resident, and yet he hasn't been seen in weeks. Why do you think that is?"

AKu chuckled, "To be honest, I haven't given him much thought since the incident. I've said before that the shame he must feel for his actions is all the punishment he deserves, and I haven't changed my mind about that! The poor Samurai must've crawled into a hole somewhere, ridden with guilt and embarrassment; I certainly don't blame him! Perhaps one day, he might atone for his crimes…" Ashi's eye twitched as she listened to her Father talk about Jack.

The reporter continued, "And what about Ashi? In videos taken of the incident, it appeared that she was concerned for the Samurai's well-being. Do you know why that was?"

"Oh, yes…" AKu rolled his eyes dramatically, "Well, you know how daughters can be: rebelling against dear old Dad by… _canoodling_ with some street punk. But, I assure you, that night was the last they will ever see of each other. After witnessing his incorrigible behavior firsthand, Ashi came to her senses and cut off all ties with the Samurai." Ashi's fists clenched as he waved his hand dismissively, "After all, it was merely a misguided infatuation, nothing more!"

Fuck being the bigger person, Ashi thought, this was _long_ overdue.

"Liar!" she shouted, causing the entire auditorium to go silent. The stage hand's face fell in shock as Ashi stepped out from offstage.

AKu stiffly turned to address Ashi as she rapidly approached him, "Um… what was that, _darling_?" he said with artificial sweetness.

Ashi got up close to him and sneered, "I said you're a liar, _Dad_."

Taken aback by her boldness, AKu glanced out at the cameras and reporters looking on with baited breath. Eager to safe face, he leaned down slightly and whispered to Ashi, "I don't know what you heard, Ashi, but do you think we could discuss this somewhere a little more private?" He reached out to touch her cheek, but she slapped his hand away with a resounding "NO!", causing the crowd to erupt in murmurs and camera flashes.

"I've let you deceive me for too long! This time, you're going to listen!" Ashi demanded, driving AKu away from his podium with her index finger to his chest. "I vouched for you! Jack thought you were going to try to break us up, but _I_ said you knew better! I really thought you would respect what I wanted for once, instead of trying to make things go _your_ way like you _always_ do!" AKu was backing upstage slowly as his daughter tore into him, "And I really believed that _Jack_ was to blame for how things went! I really thought you cared about me, that you valued our family like you kept saying you did, and so _that's_ what I chose: family! I chose _you_!" his back hit the solid campaign banner behind the podium, preventing him from retreating further, "But you know what? I chose _wrong_!"

"Ashi, please! I-I can explain everything!" AKu pleaded nervously, holding up his hands guiltily, "Just, please! Don't say anymore in front of the cameras!" he begged in a harsh whisper.

Ashi was dumbfounded. Her Father didn't care one bit that he had ruined the happiest relationship she had ever had, only that his image might be tainted by her accusations. Her mouth hung open for a moment before she had a realization, and with a stoic expression, turned around and walked up to the podium AKu had ditched.

Taking a deep breath, Ashi looked out upon the seemingly endless crowd, and spoke into the microphones: "My Father lied to you. The Samurai isn't a criminal, and what he did isn't normally like him. He's actually a great man; a hero who's helped so many people, myself included. But my Father… AKu… he's been tormenting the Samurai for years. He used our relationship to make him look like a criminal, but AKu is the real criminal!"

Scaramouche, who was standing in the opposite wing, gawked anxiously, "Oh, man…"

"He's lied to me, he's lied to all of you, and he'll continue lie so that you'll put him in office! Don't let him deceive you, do _not_ vote for…" before Ashi could continue, AKu finally snapped out of his frozen shock, and charged up to the podium, pushing her aside.

"D-Don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she's talking about! Uhh… it's just her time of the month, y-you know how it is, they blow up over the smallest things…" AKu trailed off as the crowd remained quiet, not buying his frantic explanation. They had, after all, just witnessed him rudely shove his daughter to the floor.

Meanwhile, Ashi calmly got back up, brushed herself off, and walked offstage the way she came, ignoring the reinvigorated crowd shouting questions at her. After gathering her things from the dressing room, about to exit the convention center where the conference was being held, the double doors of the auditorium swung open, and AKu stood there panting angrily.

"A word, Ashi!" he barked, but she simply upturned her nose and walked away, ignoring him. His aggravated growling was interrupted by a stampede of reporters and cameras, clamoring to hear more of what Ashi had to say.

Not looking to answer any questions, Ashi started sprinting out of the building into the heavy rainfall outside. She saw a taxi coming down the street, and flagged him down by waving her hands in the middle of the road. Sure enough, the taxi stopped with a sustained honk of his horn, and she quickly went around to get inside.

The driver turned to look at her, annoyed, "What the hell's wrong with you, jumping in front of me like that!? Especially in this weather!"

Ashi huffed, "I'm sorry, but can we please get going already?" She could see the paparazzi pouring out of the building, noticing the stopped taxi.

"Didn't you see the light on? I'm off duty, get lost!" the driver pointed out his window with his thumb, refusing to budge an inch.

Groaning, Ashi quickly pulled a stack of bills out of her purse, showing it to the man, "I'll pay you double, just _drive_!" she demanded. At last, the taxi sped off before the invasive crowd could surround it. Ashi fell back into the seat with a huge sigh of relief.

"So, where am I taking you exactly?" the driver asked.

Ashi suddenly realized she had no idea where to go. Having just told off her Father on live television, renouncing his campaign, she didn't feel comfortable going back to the hotel, or even to her old apartment. "Just… head downtown," she replied, disheartened. The only place she wanted to go was her _other_ old apartment, but she knew she was no longer welcome there. Somberly, Ashi dug into her purse for her phone, feeling more lost than ever.

There was a notification on her phone about a missed call, from a number Ashi didn't recognize at first. The caller left a voicemail, and her heart skipped a beat as she realized who it was.

Jack.

Now that she knew the truth, Ashi felt ashamed about everything Jack had went through because of her. She was expecting him to still be mad about it, and probably tell her off in his voicemail. Ashi wasn't sure if she was ready to hear that, but out of fairness to Jack, decided to face the music and hear him out. Hesitantly, she played the message:

" _Ashi, I know you probably don't want to hear from me, but… I have to get this off my chest…"_

Here it comes, she thought anxiously.

" _I'm sorry._ "

Wait, what?

" _What I did was unforgivable; it didn't have to be that way, but I gave in to my temper, and made a fool of myself. I never meant to drag you into my hatred, and for that, I'm truly sorry…_ "

Unbelievable. After all this time, Jack hadn't held any grudges against her, only blamed himself for what her Father did. How could she have thought anything bad about this man?

" _I know that this apology is too little, too late, but I needed you to hear it, and to hear this:_ "

Her breath was becoming more and more shallow.

" _Ashi, I love you. Fully and completely. I was lost for so long, but you helped me find my way again. I was happy just being with you, and I wish things could be like they used to. But, even if I never get to see you again, the time we spent together… I will cherish it for as long as I live. I can only hope that, at some point, maybe you felt the same… Goodbye…_ "

"Uh, Miss? Everything okay?" the driver spoke up, dragging Ashi out of the trance she had been in since the voicemail ended moments ago.

Looking up, she realized her vision was blurry and her face was wet. Ashi was sobbing right there in the back of the taxi and didn't even notice. Wiping her tears with a sniffle, Ashi smiled softly, "Y-Yeah, I just… I finally decided where I want to go…"

"Well, that's great and all," the driver remarked, "But it's gonna take a while to get _anywhere_ with _this_ traffic."

Ashi then realized the taxi wasn't moving, and glanced ahead to see a line of cars and brake lights stretching out into the rainy horizon. She wasn't initially concerned, but then remembered Jack's voicemail, and the finality of it. The nightmare she had recently popped back into her head. What if this was his last attempt at salvation from his despair, before taking his fate into his own hands? What if he couldn't bear his loneliness and shame any longer, and was already seeking to end it?

What if it was already too late?

Without a second thought, Ashi took two twenty-dollar bills from the stack she used to persuade the driver, threw them into the front seat, and dashed out of the taxi into the pouring rain.

/

Well, so much for that.

Jack lay on his couch like a lifeless doll, lamenting his last-ditch effort to get Ashi's attention. He poured his heart out into the phone, and Ashi wasn't even going to hear it; she probably deleted the message as soon as she saw it, he thought.

If his colorful alter ego were here, he would probably tell him to grab those scissors and get it over with, but Jack didn't even have the motivation to do _that_.

Suddenly, a knock on the door. With a sigh, Jack forced himself to stand up and trudge the few feet it took to get to the front door. As it was the first Saturday of April, Jack expected the guest to be his landlord, looking for the rent he wasn't even sure he had. Lazily, he opened the door.

It was Ashi, standing there in a little black dress, holding a pair of heels, and soaked from head to toe.

Their eyes met, and they both froze. Ironically, Ashi was shivering a bit as she got to Jack's door, but now she no longer felt the cold. Similarly, Jack had recently stopped caring about wearing little when answering the door; but right now, wearing only a white tee and boxers, he was feeling very underdressed.

"H-Hi…" Jack stammered.

"Hey…" Ashi answered.

The two went silent again. After about half a minute of averted gazes, Jack finally spoke up again.

"What are you—OOF!" he was cut off when Ashi ran into him with enough force to knock him down, sending them both to the floor.

Landing on his back with Ashi on top of him caused Jack to flinch, yet he still held her in his arms, having instinctively held her tight as they fell. The slight pain was quickly replaced by a strange rhythm on his chest, which he looked up to see Ashi' face buried into it. Her shoulders twitched and breath hitched on each irregular beat, and her drooping wet hair perfectly complimented her crying.

"I'm so sorry, Jack…" Ashi sobbed into his chest, slightly muffled. She finally looked up at him, "I'm sorry I chose him, even for a second! I couldn't accept the truth, even when it was right in front of me, and _you_ suffered for it! I let him use me to hurt you—I _never_ wanted to hurt you! I was so stupid, you must think I'm awful…" she whimpered as her face fell back into his chest.

Jack propped himself up on his elbows, and ran his hand over her damp head, causing her to look up again. "I was never angry with you, Ashi…" he wiped a tear from his own eye, "I was mad at your Father, and at myself for letting him come between us. I lost my temper, and you because of it. This whole thing was my fault, I'm sorry…"

"No, stop it!" Ashi put her hands on his shoulders, "You know that's not true, it was all because of me! You told me what would happen and I didn't listen! _I'm_ sorry!"

"Forget it, no more apologizing. You're here now, that's all that matters to me," Jack pressed his forehead against hers, "I love you, Ashi."

Ashi smiled through her tears, "I know. I love you, too…"

Finally, they brought their lips together for the first time in too long. They kissed on the floor for about a minute, until Jack opened his eyes, feeling all of the moisture covering Ashi dripping down onto him. He broke the kiss and looked at her, "Um, why are you so wet?"

Ashi then remembered the strands of wet hair hanging in her face, "Oh, well I ran here from the edge of the hill section in the rain," she said calmly.

Jack's eyes widened, "You ran _all_ that way!? You must be exhausted!"

"Well, now that you mention it…" she yawned, laying her head down on his chest, this time treating it like a pillow.

Before she could doze off, Jack sat up all the way, forcing her up as well. "You should dry yourself off first, or you might get sick," he warned, getting up while helping her to her feet.

"Good point, let me get out of this dress…" Ashi remarked, beginning to slip out of the soaked garment before Jack stopped her.

"Y-Yes but, you should go dry off in the bathroom," he said nervously, "I'll get you a towel and some dry clothes."

"Okay…" Ashi quietly relented, shuffling off towards the bathroom. She turned on the light, then back to Jack, who was closing the front door they had left open, and asked, "Um, is it okay if I take a hot shower?"

He looked at her in confusion, "You don't need my permission, Ashi…"

"I just figured I should ask, I mean… I don't live here anymore…" her statement caused another moment of silence, which Jack finally broke.

"Take a shower, Ashi," he said with a smirk.

Ashi smiled back, "Thanks," and retreated into the bathroom.

Once she closed the door, Jack went into his room and gathered a few pieces of clothing from the pile Ashi had left behind. Realizing not much of it could be considered bed clothes, Jack had to improvise using his wardrobe. He also removed his own shirt, which was now wet as well from Ashi laying on him.

Meanwhile, Ashi had finally peeled off her wet dress, turned on the shower head, and stepped into the tub. The hot water felt much more pleasant than the cold drops bombarding her during her marathon sprint. As Ashi cleaned herself, she heard the bathroom door creak open; but before she could poke her head out of the shower, the door shut again, and all she saw was a neatly folded towel and clothing on the counter.

Minutes later, Ashi turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel Jack had left for her. Drying herself off, she ran the towel side to side on her head, and looked in the mirror to see her hair how it always looked after a shower. Ashi found Jack's hairbrush and was about to style it back into its usual look, but then she realized:

That hairstyle was a testament to her status as a Daughter of AKu. It represented the old Ashi. She wanted to change that, and this change involved keeping her hair as it was now—slightly messy, but natural and free.

She then picked up the clothes Jack gave her to wear: a long green tee shirt that hung past her waist, matching knee-high socks that she had forgotten to pack when she left, and a pair of Jack's own boxer shorts. Ashi smiled, realizing that Jack remembered how she liked to dress before bed.

As for Jack, he was sitting on his couch in the living room, completely dumbfounded at the events that had just taken place. He had given up hope of ever making amends with Ashi, and yet she had come back to him herself, begging his forgiveness. But Jack was telling the truth when he said he never blamed her for anything.

Speaking of, Jack heard the bathroom door open, and Ashi walked out from the hallway in her new dry clothes. As she stood there, holding her right arm, as Jack stood up and approached her.

"Your hair…" he pointed at the new do, trailing off.

Ashi turned pink, and brushed a lock of hair behind her left ear, "I-I thought I'd try something different. What do you think…?" she asked nervously.

Jack stared for a moment before smiling warmly, "I think it looks… fresh."

Her eyes began to well up again, and she leapt into his arms again, wrapping hers around his neck. Jack was more prepared this time, able to keep himself steady while holding her up.

"I missed you…" Ashi whispered.

"I missed you, too," Jack responded just as quiet, "So much."

They stayed like that for a few moments. Jack savored Ashi's scent as his face rested in the crook of her neck, a sensation he had never thought he'd experience again. He could feel her soft breathing, and she finally spoke up, "You know, I could fall asleep like this…"

Jack chuckled lightly, "Well, that won't do. Let's get you to bed." Holding her tightly, he made his way back down the hall and into his room. He lowered her into a standing position, holding her upright with his right arm, and lifting the covers on his bed with his free hand. Carefully, Jack hooked the back of Ashi's legs and lifted her up, bridal style, before placing her down gently into his bed.

Ashi's eyes were closed as Jack covered her with the blankets. He turned to walk out of the room, planning to sleep on the couch, when he felt his left arm refused to follow along. Ashi was holding onto his wrist, eyes half-lidded as she looked up at him.

"Please…stay…" she murmured.

Jack looked down at himself; wearing only his boxers, he was already dressed for sleeping. Not even ten o' clock yet, it wasn't like he had anywhere to be. Ashi managed to roll over a bit as Jack joined her in his bed, then rolled back into his open arms.

Ashi was asleep in mere minutes, breathing softly into his chest, as Jack closed his eyes. Warily, he peeked to see if any hallucinations were still hanging around.

Nothing, not a Samurai in sight.

With a sigh of relief, Jack closed his eyes for the last time that night, and slept better than he had in weeks.

—END CHAPTER 16—

/

 **Hey, it's me! The author!**

 **I know it's been a while since I've updated, but I've made good use of that time (concerning this story, at least). I went back and fixed all of the glaring grammatical errors infesting the existing chapters; each and every one meticulously reread and edited in their original file, and posted on here, fresh(haha) as new!**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed this latest update; I actually think it's the best so far, but that's for you to judge. Feedback of all kinds would definitely be appreciated, and the kind words you've already offered have helped get me this far in the first place!**

 **There's quite a ways to go before this story's over, so I hope you'll stick it out to see it through with me! Love ya ;)**

 **-Skippy**


	18. Jack vs Ashi

—CHAPTER 17—

Yesterday's rain had subsided by the morning, and the clouds had dispersed long before the sun had risen.

Almost ten in the morning, Jack was awoken gently by the sunbeams peeking through his window shades. Feeling well rested, he quickly realized he was alone, and immediately sat up to look around. Ashi was nowhere to be seen, and he briefly worried that last night was only a dream.

Just then, he caught a whiff of an enticing scent that wafted into his room. Someone was cooking in his kitchen. Jack got out of his bed and wandered out into the hallway.

Turning the corner, he saw Ashi at the stove, frying eggs and bacon in a pan, still wearing the same outfit she went to sleep in. Her hair was a little messy, but the new style had already grown on Jack.

Ashi finally noticed Jack gawking at her from the doorway, and her already pleasant expression gleamed even brighter. "Jack, good morning!" she rushed over to him, pecking him on the lips, "Hope you don't mind, I made us breakfast with the stuff you had in the fridge."

Jack blinked a couple times, then shook his head rapidly, "N-No, of course not! Here, I'll get us some plates," he smiled sheepishly.

Ashi beamed at him then went back to the stove as Jack moved to the cabinet. "By the way, when was the last time you went grocery shopping?" she asked.

"Uhh, it's been a while since I've… left the house, actually," he admitted looking down at the plates he had just picked up.

Ashi shook her head with a smirk, "Who would've thought you'd be so hopeless without me, Jack," she teased playfully as Jack came up next to her to set the plates down on the counter, "We'll do a supermarket run later today." There was a brief silence, then Ashi let out a small gasp as Jack's arms snaked their way around her torso, "Well, hello there," she cooed.

Jack was barely listening to what Ashi was saying to him, as it was only just now sinking in that she was actually _there_. They slept together, and now she was making breakfast, casually speaking to him about mundane things. It felt as though they had never even split up in the first place. When that realization hit Jack, embracing Ashi was the only thing he could think to do. As a result, he discovered that Ashi's hair would no longer be prodding his nostrils whenever he held her, which was also a pleasant revelation.

"Uhh, Jack? Our breakfast is burning…" Ashi's remark brought him back to attention, and he released her with a stammered apology, which she merely laughed off.

The couple then proceeded to sit down together to enjoy the breakfast Ashi made for them. It didn't take long for either of them to clear their plates, and they both sat back in their chairs with a contented sigh.

Jack then got up to get drinks for them, taking two glasses out of the cabinet and moving to the fridge.

Ashi spoke up when she saw him take out a familiar carton of orange juice, "I wouldn't if I were you." Jack looked at her curiously as he unscrewed the cap, and almost immediately started gagging at the foul odor that emerged from the juice carton.

"Told you," Ashi shrugged.

Carefully, Jack held the carton away from himself, pouring it over the drain. Once he rinsed the expired juice out of the sink, he brought the glasses he took out under the running faucet and filled them. "Water it is then," he remarked.

Jack handed her one of the beverages and sat adjacent to her at the kitchen table. They sipped in comfortable silence for a minute or two, until Jack remembered the elephant in the room that they had been ignoring all morning.

"Ashi…" he thought about how to approach the subject for a moment, then decided that mincing words would be inappropriate, "What about your Father? If you're here with me, then where do you stand with him?" he inquired.

Ashi gave a slight smirk, and with out speaking, she took Jack's hand and led him over to the couch. Sitting him down, she picked up the remote on the table and switched on the TV, which defaulted to the local news network, immediately airing the footage of last night's conference.

Jack was immediately fixated on the screen. Given Ashi's recently acquired fame, he was now quite used to seeing her face on Television. What Jack never would have expected, however, was to see Ashi furiously reproach her Father, then passionately defend his own actions and character in front of a focused crowd of cameras and press. Yet, he was now seeing exactly that.

And it wasn't just airing locally; Ashi started scrolling channels to show that the same footage was also being shown on _national_ news networks, all over the country. With AKu's prominent role in politics, the internet soon got its hands on the story, meaning that the clip was going global. The entire world witnessed Ashi renounce her Father.

Suddenly, Ashi switched off the TV with the remote, which she then placed down on the coffee table, and took a seat to Jack's right on the couch. He turned to her with an almost vacant expression, still processing what he had just seen, as she started to speak again. "You and I are together again, Jack, and that's exactly what AKu was trying to prevent. We may not be able to fight him, but we can defy him; by staying together, we're showing AKu that he has no power over us," Ashi explained, clenching her fist in determination.

Realizing their advantage, Jack brought up his fist to mirror hers, "You're right, our relationship is our weapon in this fight. The best thing we can do is to carry on, the same as before."

"Yes, exactly!" Ashi affirmed, "And our first order of business is to rent that new property! If we pool our money together, we should be able to afford moving in."

Jack lowered his gaze, "Um, about that… I haven't been working much since we broke up. I can barely afford half the down payment. We may have to work a little longer before we move forward with this…" he sighed.

Ashi quickly got up from the couch, yelling to Jack as she went to grab her phone from the bedroom, "No worries, I should be able to pick up the slack. Not only do I have the money we made from our jobs, but I've been funneling all of my allowance into my bank account—the one my Dad _doesn't_ have access to." She walked back into the living room, scrolling through her phone for the property owner's number, "We're not skipping a beat."

Jack smiled as Ashi dialed the phone and put it to her ear, taking her spot on the couch. After a few rings, Jack could hear a voice come through on the other end, which Ashi greeted.

"Hi! I'm calling about the property that was up for sale. My name is Ashi; I don't know if you remember, but we spoke in November of last year… You do, great! So, I was wondering if the space is still available because my boyfriend and I have the down payment…" her face fell as she listened to the tenant's response, "Oh, okay…" then mouthed to Jack, " _He sold it…_ " who put his face in his palm.

Suddenly, Ashi's face lit up again, "Oh, really?" she said excitedly, prompting Jack to look up from his despair. " _The new owner is also renting it!"_ Ashi cheered quietly, holding the phone away from her for a moment. Jack pumped his fist victoriously. "Yeah, that's actually perfect!" she sighed in relief, "So, who's the new owner?"

Jack watched expectantly as Ashi got her answer, and seeing the color immediately drain from her face, he felt a sickening pit form in his stomach. She didn't have to say a word, Jack knew exactly who it was.

/

"I can't tell you how grateful I am to have you both here with me today. Given our recent…disagreements, I was worried you would no longer hear me out. But, as I expected, you have proven to be above such petty grievances, and allowed me this opportunity to make things right! As such, I propose that we begin this meeting by burying the hatchet, once and for all. What do you say!?"

AKu stared across his desk at Jack and Ashi expectantly, but the scowling couple refused to budge, both sitting there with crossed arms.

The awkward silence lingered for a minute or so, then AKu spoke up again, "Alright, look… we've all said a lot of _regrettable_ things, and I'm eager to put this whole mess behind us and move on; I trust you both feel the same, so let's get down to business…" he said, eagerly placing a document on his desk and sliding it over to the couple.

Jack picked up the piece of paper, and Ashi leaned in as they both examined it, quickly realizing what it was: a contract.

"As you can see, I'm prepared to offer you a residence at the property you've been working towards, at the same low starting cost!" AKu boasted, tapping the desk in rhythm with each word, "And just to prove that there are no hard feelings, I will _personally_ finance every necessary renovation made to the building, to help you jumpstart your new business!" AKu sat back and crossed his arms with a smug grin, while his daughter grimaced, looking up from the contract.

"What's the catch?" she asked warily, her attention now completely on her Father. Jack's, however, remained on the paper he was holding, and he found the answer to Ashi's question.

AKu smiled warmly, "No catch, my dear. Only a… stipulation, if you will. Although your monthly rent will be the same, the total price of the property has been raised to five hundred thousand."

Ashi gaped at the figure, while Jack held his chin in contemplation, much less appalled at the large number. After all, he expected AKu to interfere somehow, and this was nowhere near as bad as it could have been. Hell, the bar was already pretty high at this point. Their hands were basically tied, but at least they'd still be able to follow through with their original plan.

"I know what you're thinking, Ashi: that this is just some feeble attempt at making up to you after I lied. You probably feel betrayed, and angry, but you must understand: You are _still_ my daughter, and as such, know that I am still going to uphold my responsibilities as your Father—and that, to me, means financing your business venture! But I realize that you're a big girl now, and you wish to make your own choices. I get it! I get that you truly want to be with the… J-Jack, and I promise you— _both_ of you—that I will not interfere with that anymore" AKu declared, holding up three fingers on his left hand while crossing his heard with his right index finger. His honorable pose lasted a good three seconds before he held up two pens and donned a cheesy grin to ask excitedly, "So, how about those signatures?"

Jack finally took his attention away from the contract to look at Ashi; having already made up his mind, he was now eager to know what Ashi thought of her Father's deal.

Ashi brought her pensive gaze up from her lap to look sternly at her Father, and she bluntly answered after a brief pause, "No." AKu's plastic smile collapsed, and Jack turned to her in astonishment. "I'm on to you, _Dad_. You think that making amends to us is going to fix your tarnished image; I bet you have another press conference lined up and everything!" Ashi rose abruptly and slammed her hands against the desk, "But I'm _not_ going to let you do it. Jack and I are more than capable of making it on our own, and we don't need you _or_ your dirty money!" she declared, turning away in defiance.

"Is that so?" AKu growled, visibly displeased by her response, "Well, then the two of you can just—"

But Jack stood up, interrupting him with a request, "Um, would you excuse us for a moment? I'd like to have a word with Ashi." AKu sneered at them both, grumbling and stroking his goatee in contemplation, then finally waved them off dismissively.

Before Ashi could interject, Jack grabbed her hand and led her over to the elevator. "What are you doing?" she asked in a harsh whisper as the elevator door opened with a chime.

The couple stepped in, and Jack waited until the doors shut to speak, "Ashi, we have to take this deal."

Ashi was stupefied, "H-How can you even say that? You of all people!"

"I don't like it any more than you do," Jack shook his head, "but perhaps it's not as bad as it seems. It's like you said, this is damage control; he wouldn't be helping us if there wasn't something in it for him. All we can do is try to get as much out of it as we can."

Ashi looked away in uncertainty, "I don't know…"

"We won't be deviating from our original plan at all, just skipping a few of the more expensive steps. Having someone else pay for renovations would save us a lot of trouble, don't you think?" Jack suggested.

There was a brief pause before Ashi spoke up again, "Do you honestly think he's going to keep his promises?"

His gaze was steady, "Do you honestly think we have a choice?"

Ashi was about to refute it, but hesitated once Jack's words sunk in. He was absolutely right. If they didn't take this deal, her Father wouldn't let them off easy. Even if they could find a similar property that AKu didn't own, he'd likely see to its acquisition before they could even get an estimate. Their options were scarce, and they both knew it.

After another pause, Ashi finally looked back at Jack, "Okay." Hands intertwined, the couple then stepped out of the elevator to face the music.

AKu was sitting at his desk, his back turned to them, facing out the window. As they approached, he slowly spun around and said, "Sooo, I trust you've had a successful deliberation?" with a sly grin.

Ashi scowled, and Jack squeezed her hand in reassurance. Taking a deep breath, she answered, "We have…"

/

Having establishing a shaky truth with AKu, Jack and Ashi were certain that the favors he had promised them would be fraught with frustrating delays and inconveniences. Much to their surprise, however, the next three weeks would pass by quickly and without much hassle.

The couple was given three days to pack everything they owned, before a moving crew would arrive at their current residence to take their belongings over to the new one. The movers showed up just as rush hour began and made it a point to block most of the road with their trucks as they loaded them. What little space was left for commuters was further obstructed by a mob of reporters, eager to document AKu's altruism in action.

By the end of the day, Jack and Ashi were officially moved into their new home. The first thing the couple did was scour every inch of their new home, suspicious that the movers had planted surveillance or recording devices in the nooks and crannies at AKu's behest. Surprisingly, as thorough as their search was, they found nothing.

The first floor of the mixed-use building was empty space, a long-forgotten convenience store that had been stripped clean a year prior. The top floor, however, was perfectly livable, almost a nicer version of their previous abode. It had housed several tenants over the years that all tried to keep the store going, but it finally became unsustainable. The store was abandoned but the apartment was kept up by the owner in hopes that it would one day sell.

The front of the property had two doors: the one on the right was for the first floor, and the second was a two-tier staircase that lead to the front door of the apartment. Once inside, one would find the small are of linoleum floor was a step below the main carpeted floor of the home, a perfect place for guests to take off and leave their shoes. To the right of that was a living room area with a couch and love seat, the former facing a television in front of a wall, and the latter across from a large window at the front of the building. An open-floor layout meant that the kitchen and dining room weren't separated from the living room and each other by walls, residing across from and behind it respectively. Between the kitchen and the dining room was a hallway that stretched far back enough to accommodate four rooms: two bedrooms, master and guest, on the right, a bathroom and an extra room that was converted into an office on the left. At the end of the hallway was a window, and to the left of that was a door out to the back of the building down a black grated staircase.

Moved in, and ready to start their new careers—they took care of the needed registration during the renovations—Jack and Ashi invited Scotsman over for a small housewarming, their first time catching up since the couple got back together. The sat at the dining table with a few drinks, Jack and Ashi sitting across from Scotsman, and got their friend caught up on recent events.

"Five-hundred _thousand_ dollars!" Scotsman held his forehead in awe at the number, "Yer gonna be payin' that off into yer forties!" he half-jokingly remarked.

Jack was slightly slumped over with his elbows on the table, clutching his beer, "Yes, these circumstances are most troubling."

"I'm sorry, Jack. This whole thing is my fault," Ashi lamented, sitting to Jack's right but looking away from him. "If I had caught on to my Father's schemes from the start, maybe I could've prevented him from interfering in our affairs. I should've done more to stop him, I—"

Jack interrupted her bemoaning by placing his hand on hers, "Believe me, it does no good to dwell on the past. We cannot change what has happened, but we can work to repair what has come of it." Ashi's sullen expression reversed as she turned to look at him, reminded that Jack didn't blame her for any of it.

"That's right!" Scotsman loudly chimed in, "The important thing is ye finally came to yer senses and saw AKu fer what he really is. Besides, even though yer payin' him off fer it, ye got this great new place! S' not all that bad, eh?" he remarked, taking a big swig from his mug.

The couple broke their loving gaze to address their conflicting feelings. "You're right, it shouldn't be hard to make the best of the new living situation. Plus, the rent is about the same as we were paying at the old apartment," mused Ashi, feeling nervously hopeful for what was to come.

"Still," Jack spoke up in a less positive tone, "We have a long way to go before we pay off our debts to him, and it's going to be another few weeks or so before the dojo is finished. If only there was a way we could make the money all at once."

His words seemed to set something off in Scotsman; his arm came to an abrupt stop as he was about to take another drink, and his eyes opened wide in realization. "THAT'S IT!" he shouted, slamming the mug down on the table, "I know how ye can make the money! Ever hear 'bout the 'Dome of Doom?'" he asked, and Jack shook his head as Ashi looked away in thought. "It's this game show thing where contestants compete in athletic challenges, and against the arena's champions for up to a _million_ dollars! If you two signed up, you'd easily win that money!" he loudly declared.

"A… game show? On television?" Jack said pensively, mulling over the concept of competing in one. He was actually quite familiar with that kind of program; before he met Ashi, Jack spent a lot of time watching television, and often settled on the game show channel. There was the show where contestants picked from a collection of numbered briefcases, bargaining with an offscreen banker to get the best offer. Or the one where two families compete against each other in survey-based questions, and they would always give such raunchy answers that the host would make a big deal out of. While Jack would love to win so much money, he couldn't imagine them actually winning. Every game show involves some form of gambling, it all seemed too good to be true.

Ashi, meanwhile, realized she knew what show Scotsman was talking about. "You're right, we would _dominate_!" she said in an aggressive tone as she turned to Jack, "If seen that show, and the kind of challenges they do aren't far off from what we do all the time! Sparring, obstacle courses, that weird upside-down bike thing—well, maybe not _that_ … but you and I could handle it, no problem!"

Jack held his chin in reconsideration, "Well… I suppose we could try signing up. I'm not crazy about being on TV, but what do we have to lose, right?" he shrugged.

"That's the spirit!" Scotsman cheered, "They have a booth set up at the gym I go to, where anyone can apply to be on the show. The two'a you come by tomorrow and sign up!"

"Then it's settled!" Ashi grabbed Jack's hand in determination, "You and I are getting into the Dome of Doom, and we're going to win that cash prize!" Jack nodded in agreement.

Scotsman lifted his drink, "Cheers to that!" and the three of them clinked glasses.

/

A flash of lightning lit up the night sky over AKu's tower, accompanied by roaring thunder. The pouring rain made its own cacophony as it pelted the tops of buildings, but AKu and his loyal assistant heard none of it from within the tower's descending main elevator.

Scaramouche was exhausted from a day of non-stop damage control, meeting with several of AKu's personal investors on his boss' behalf. AKu, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. His hands behind his back, and a tranquil smile on his face, none of the recent tribulations seemed to faze him one bit. Scaramouche didn't understand it at all.

"Tell me somethin', Boss. The Samurai's out of his funk, _and_ he's now got the public opinion on his side; your own daughter has turned on you and nearly the press too; and your poll numbers are lower than ever! So, why… _how_ can you be so cheerful!?" Scaramouche asked desperately.

AKu chuckled lightly, "I know this looks bad," he responded without turning to his assistant, "but politics is all about appearances. As long as everyone thinks I'm occupied with these trivial distractions, they won't pay any mind to what's really going on."

Just then, the elevator had reached its destination: a top-secret basement level underneath the building. The doors opened to a massive pitch-black room, illuminated only by the elevator. The pair stepped out onto a bridge-like walkway, and each in a series of overhead lights flickered on as they passed under it.

"As for the Samurai and Ashi, they can have their little 'fairy tale love story'," AKu continued, in a mocking tone, "As long as it keeps them out of my hair, I don't care what they do. I paid them off so that they'd spend less time screwing up my other operations. And even then, they remain blissfully unaware of my _real_ plan. In time, however, they will learn the truth…"

The two stopped at the base of an enormous machine, still hidden by the darkness. The sinister mogul held up his arms in reverence of his grand endeavor, "Yeesss, soon everyone will find out what's in store. And when they do, it will already be too late to stop it. _Far_ too late…"

AKu's maniacal laughter echoed throughout the cavernous facility, as the machine lit up in an eerie red glow.

/

All that was left to do was to overhaul the bottom floor into the perfect space for martial arts instruction, a task which they had managed to milk out of AKu's deal. Fortunately, they knew exactly where to go for the labor they were looking for: Monk and his Grandsons provided the name of the contractor that did their "dojo" in the back room of Brewshido. Given the fact that not too many people in Burlington were in need of traditional Japanese furnishing, said contractor was more than happy to take the job.

The entire thing took about two weeks, even with Jack and Ashi lending the contractor a hand, but they made sure to get the deluxe package. Money was no object for _AKu_ , after all. The contractors did an excellent job, and the place looked just as they had imagined.

The front of the building was stylized to look like a shōji, with three rectangular windows above them and the actual entrance on the right side, opposite the porch that lead to the upstairs residence. The dojo's interior was one big open space, lit up by four rows of high hat lights, and most of the floor being tatami matting; the first section of flooring as you walk in was carpeted and had several lounge chairs lined up, serving as a waiting area for those who weren't participating in the classes. There was also a small restroom on the left side of the waiting area, nestled underneath the staircase leading up to their home. The rest of the dojo matched the exterior of the building, decorated with various Japanese illustrations, martial arts codes, and different weapons hung up for both display and occasional use. There was a moderately-sized trunk sat in the back-right corner, containing spare gis and sparing equipment, and back door exit to the left of it.

Their new business was finally up and running, meaning they would once again have a source of steady income to pay off their loans. As for advertising, AKu's gloating about supporting his daughter's career choice took care of that. Furthermore, they had signed up for the "Dome of Doom" television show prior to the construction, and now were waiting to find out if they had gotten in. Everything was finally coming together for Jack and Ashi.

It was now the middle of May, and the opening day of "The Samurai's Dojo". Jack and Ashi were up, bright and early at the crack of dawn, to prepare for their first students to arrive for class, even though they had no idea how long they'd be waiting for someone to show up. But the more time to warm-up, they figured, the better. Both of them were wearing light workout clothing.

Ashi was sitting down on the tatami, stretching out her legs as she admired Jack, who was practicing his kata. Rarely did she get the chance to actually observe his form, usually preoccupied fighting side-by-side with Jack against some untrained thugs. But now that she could actually see him—his smooth, precise, graceful motions—she was mesmerized. Not to mention his toned physique, faintly gleaming from the beads of sweat that were beginning to form. He also wore an unruly topknot, the best he could do with all the hair he had.

She had been staring for some time, and Jack finally took notice, shooting her a sly glance over his shoulder, "Your legs should be properly stretched by now, don't you think?" Flustered, she quickly sat up and started stretching her arms instead, causing him to chuckle lightly.

"Save it for the students," Ashi fired back, turning away from his smug expression, and was suddenly struck with a much more effective retort, "Actually, I think my legs _could_ use a bit more stretching." Casually, she spread her legs and bent down to touch her toes, spending a considerate amount of time before switching sides, "Definitely my lower back, too…" she wiggled her rear end a bit before peeking upside down at him from between her legs, and could see his bright red face, "Don't you think~?" she teased.

Jack cleared his throat awkwardly, "Yes well, I should hope that you'll refrain from flirting during business hours. It's quite unprofessional, you know."

Raising an eyebrow, Ashi smirked, "Ohh, excuuuse me, _Sensei_. I didn't realize class was already in session. So, what are we learning today?" she walked over to him and leaned in uncomfortably close, slowly forcing him against the wall.

"Ashi, _please_ , this is no time to be messing around," Jack scolded, still blushing profusely.

They stayed like that for a few moments, before Ashi finally stepped back with a shrug, "Yeah, never mind. I don't know what I was thinking, asking _you_ to teach me." Jack's head snapped back in her direction, "I mean, there's nothing you could show me that I wouldn't already know. After all, between the two of us, I am the _better fighter_ ," she said, shooting him her own smug look.

"Excuse me?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

Ashi smiled innocently, "Well, yeah! Maybe we've had similar training, but with all that time you've spent moping about, I'd imagine you've lost your edge a bit."

Jack opened his mouth to retort, but quickly caught on to what Ashi was doing _and_ why. Instead, he gave another chuckle, leaning back against the same wall he was forced against, this time casually with his arms crossed.

Now Ashi was thrown off, "What's so funny?"

"It's just that, well, we've already fought each other," Ashi's eyes widened, "And if memory serves, _I_ was the victor every time," he explained matter-of-factly.

"Now hold on!" Ashi responded defensively, "We last fought like twenty years ago, you can't judge our skills based on that! You're just trying to cover up the fact that you're afraid of losing," she pointed a taunting and incriminating finger at him.

Jack scoffed, "Nice try, but our history speaks for itself. Besides, our first students should be arriving soon, we don't have time for—" Ashi cut him off mid-sentence by placing her hand firmly on his chest, right as he was about to push off the wall and resume his kata.

"No, it does not," she bluntly replied, "I'll have you know that I resented you so much when we were younger for always beating me, and I remembered those feelings immediately when we first met at that bar. Maybe I forgot about them for a while, but now I have the chance to do something about it, and I'm _not_ letting it go. If you're so sure that you're still better than me, then you're going to have to prove it."

Jack could tell from her expression that Ashi was dead serious, and his amused grin fell as the two of them silently glared at each other for a tense moment. "Very well," he finally relented with a sigh, "If it means that much to you, then let's spar."

Ashi smiled, "Thank you, Jack. I promise not to humiliate you too badly," she teased. Ignoring the comment, Jack moved to stand across from her on the mat as they both positioned themselves appropriately. "So, what do you think? Best of five?" she asked, reaching up high for one final stretch.

Jack nodded, "Fine by me, anything goes?"

"Anything goes," she affirmed.

Jack and Ashi took to opposite sides of the tatami floor, where they faced and bowed to each other sportingly. The match was intended to be a casual spar, but once they assumed their fighting stances, a tense atmosphere quickly filled the room.

The two opponents faced off in dead silence for what felt like an eternity, so much so that Jack was about to speak up. Sensing an opening, Ashi immediately lunged forward with a right forward punch, which Jack just barely avoided, twisting back with his left shoulder reflexively. She followed up with a left hook which he caught with his right forearm, and then pulled back for a same side kick that Jack blocked with his same side knee. Jack then found himself assaulted with a flurry of swift blows, doing his best to block them all and not get overwhelmed, but finally he felt a light shove on his chest from Ashi pressing the ball of her right foot against it. She said nothing, only looking at him with a smug expression, her leg still outstretched. Jack grimaced, then the two returned to their starting positions. Score one, Ashi.

Without much pause this time around, Jack was the one to strike first, almost too quickly for Ashi to react to. But she did, managing to block the initial attack and the several successive attacks that followed. Sick of tasting her own medicine, Ashi retaliated when Jack threw out what appeared to be a wide right hook, when actually she was walking right into his trap; Jack tilted his forearm back to block her counterattack, stepping in counter-clockwise and poking her with his left elbow. Point, Jack.

Resetting again, the two combatants began to circle each other, looking for potential openings in each other's guard. It was the that Ashi was struck by an idea, one that acting on would not provide any sort of advantage, but instead provide another layer to the fight; or, most likely, it would just be cringey and weird.

Regardless, Ashi took the risk; " _Foolish_ Samurai," she barked in a malicious tone, "There is no hope for you! AKu is the master of masters, the one who controls all, and it is his will that I put an end to your quest here and now! Your destruction is at hand!"

" _Never_!" Jack was thrown off by her outburst at first, but once he caught on he immediately began playing along. "Nothing will stop me in my quest to return to the past and undo the evil that has been wrought upon this world! No matter what AKu has at his disposal, I won't give in; righteousness will _always_ prevail," he declared heroically, becoming increasingly committed to the roleplay.

Ashi, meanwhile, was trying her best to maintain a menacing scowl through the giddy laughter that was erupting within her. "We shall see about that…" she sneered, slipping back into character, and went at Jack with a high right kick that he blocked with his left arm. She then immediately switched sides, coming around with her opposite leg for a similar attack, which Jack dodged this time by crouching instead, and retaliated with a low punch aimed at her abdomen; Ashi, however, was able to retract her foot in time, recoiling her leg and arms to block the attack. He followed the strike with another, aimed higher, which she bent backwards to avoid, then snatched his wrist and brought it with her behind his back.

"Give up now, Samurai, and I promise your death will be quick," Ashi whispered threateningly into Jack's ear, pushing his left arm up painfully.

Through gritted teeth, Jack retorted, "How merciful of you…"

Suddenly, in one swift motion, Jack spun himself around quickly enough to release Ashi's hold, grabbing and spinning her as well, then delivered a palm strike to her back that sent her to the floor.

"But I'm afraid you won't be able to keep that promise!" he growled, returning to his stance.

With a smirk, Ashi jumped to her feet and dodged as Jack came at her swinging a wide right hook. Jack's body went with the motion and he used the momentum while moving forward to roundhouse kick with his left leg. Ashi caught it and yanked it up to throw him off balance, but he jumped and twist flipped in the air before landing square on his feet, just in time to receive a hard knee to the gut that knocked him over.

Jack got back up just in time to avoid a leg drop, and the two reset themselves across from each other once more. Their intense gazes locked in a preliminary bout, neither showing the slightest bit of hesitation or fear. Although the score was now tied, it was no longer the deciding factor of the fight.

After another brief, tense standoff, the two opponents rushed in simultaneously. Their right forearms clashed, pushing against each other, neither combatant intending to lose the exchange. Their determined glances met; words would be pointless as their body language communicated the ferocity and aggression between them.

Finally, they both pulled back from the contact, and proceeded to exchange vicious blows and skillful blocks back and forth, neither giving any sort of advantage over the other. As the volley continued, their form and their sportsmanship began to falter; the fighters were made their way all over the tatami, making contact with each other several times, with much more force than their previous successes; Ashi had struck Jack in the face more than once, and he had nearly snapped her ankle, but neither of them would be stopped. The fight wouldn't end until one of them was KO'd.

Before that eventuality, however, Jack and Ashi clashed again, hands clasped together as they pushed all of their remaining strength against each other. Battered and bruised, but still fired up, the two were face-to-face now, close enough to feel each other's shallow breathing. They started off in a stare-down, but soon their competitive urges were replaced by a different kind of urge, finally seeing each other as more than just opponents.

/

Ashi burst through the apartment back door just as Jack had caught up to her. He practically tackled her into the wall, grabbing her and holding her steady by the waist, while aggressively kissing and biting at the base and nape of her neck. Gasping and moaning, Ashi dug her fingers into Jack's back under his shirt hard enough to leave scratch marks, a sensation that he reacted to by retreating further into the apartment.

She clung on, wrapping her legs around his waist after he let go of hers, but as Jack backed up, her fingers got slammed between his back and the perpendicular wall immediately ahead of them, causing them to let go. Jack instinctively snatched Ashi's wrists before she could fall backwards, her legs still locked around him; her eyes had closed in preparation of the impact, and she was jerked upward into another kiss as soon as they opened. Once she got her bearings, she reached behind Jack again, this time grabbing and yanking the shirt over his head and breaking their kiss. He reacted by grabbing her waist again and lifting her off of his waist.

Unlocking her legs, Ashi complied and got back to her feet, as Jack slid his hands upward and taking off her tank, too. Immediately after her arms were freed, she violently shoved Jack against the wall by his back, her hands gliding sensually across Jack's torso and shoulders; pressing her chest against him, slowly sliding her leg in and out between his thighs. His face bright red, his expression was contorted in struggle and restraint.

"Jaaack~" Ashi cooed, leaning so close to his face that he could feel her hot breath, "Why are you still holding out? We both know this ends here…" she stated in a sickeningly-sweet tone. The growing bulge rubbing against her thigh was his tell for sure.

Jack was biting his lip while staring at the ceiling, finally spoke up in a beleaguered tone. "Oh, Ashi…" ready to hear him surrender, Ashi was instead startled when she felt Jack swiftly and firmly cup her butt; his now burning gaze and intimidating voice sent a shiver throughout her body and between her legs, " _It hasn't even begun._ "

Suddenly, Jack hoisted Ashi up by her butt onto his shoulder, carried her into their bedroom to his left, and tossed her onto the edge of the bed. Before she even knew what was happening, Jack was yanking off her shorts and running his hands up her legs, his fingers leaving behind goosebumps as they explored the milky surface.

Ashi was taken off guard by Jack's aggressive enthusiasm, immobilized as he slowly and sensually traced the edges of her underwear. She shivered as Jack started peeling away her panties, and her hips jerked involuntarily as the undergarments made their way past her knees. Jack pried her legs apart carefully, as if he was trying to quietly sneak in; the only sound filling the air were Ashi's deep, heaving breaths. He leaned in, so close that she felt the hairs from his beard brush her bare skin and sex, causing her to let out a tiny gasp. Her thoughts were racing, and her legs quivered in anticipation, then all at once, a surge of pleasure shot through her body as Jack began going down on her for the first time. Trying and failing to repress her moans, Ashi instinctively wrapped her legs around Jack's head so tightly that he almost couldn't breathe; she didn't want to relinquish _all_ control, but he was certainly making it difficult not to.

After several minutes of biting her bottom lip and gripping the bedsheets, Ashi released her leg lock and managed to sit up. Grabbing Jack's hair, she pulled his head out from her crotch and tilted his face up to look at him, taking notice of the sticky residue covering his beard. "Enough…" she whispered flatly, her beat red face drenched in sweat, "Not like this… we finish this together…" and smashed her lips against his.

Getting the hint, Jack quickly pulled off the rest of his clothes as Ashi pulled him onto the bed and on top of her body. All sensuality was pushed aside as the two opponents engaged in a violent coitus where both partners battled for dominance; their bodies were weapons as they thrust against each other without relent. It was the final stage of their contest of endurance, and the climax was quickly approaching. For the duration, Jack and Ashi were eye to eye. Not once did they break eye contact with each other, not even when switching positions. Although they were still competing, they were at the same time perfectly in synch with one another, minds and bodies intertwined as they breathed heavily in unison. Finally, Ashi's eyes shut forcefully as she tightened her legs, letting out an orgasmic shriek just seconds before Jack surrendered as well. The fight was over.

A few minutes later, the couple was sprawled out on the bed, still panting heavily as they held hands, staring at the ceiling; bodies battered and bruised, hair disheveled, the only thing they were thinking about was each other. Neither of them had realized it was already past nine.

Ashi spoke up, breathlessly, "I can't… believe… after all… that… that you won… by just," she held up her left hand weakly, holding her thumb and index finger just inches apart, "… _this_ much."

Jack laughed, even though it pained him a little, "It was still… a great match… you are truly… a worthy opponent," he lauded.

Ashi smiled affectionately, rolling into and nuzzling Jack's chest, "It was an honor to face you in combat… Samurai…"

/

It was almost ten o' clock.

The sign on the door said that the dojo would open at nine. A small line of miscellaneous folks had been waiting for an hour now, but the Samurai and his girlfriend were nowhere to be found.

Most of the crowd were big fans of the Samurai and his reputation, and were grateful enough for the opportunity to train under a living legend that they didn't mind the wait.

They assumed that, wherever he was, he must be doing something very important.

—END CHAPTER 17—

/


	19. Jack, Ashi, and the White Dog

—CHAPTER 18—

It was a warm, clear night in the outskirts of Burlington. The stars were clear as day, and crickets filled the air with their summer songs. A full moon shone down on a row of decrepit farm houses, all of them seemingly abandoned.

One of them, however, was not. Although there were no outward signs of activity, the faint roar of a raucous crowd emanated from the two-story building. Suddenly, a loud crash disrupted the relative serenity, and the crowd had become noticeably more agitated and chaotic. Somewhere within the building, the pitter-patter of a four-legged silhouette echoed as it raced down a dimly-lit corridor. This was the creature's only chance to escape; it followed its keen senses to the only possible exit, up an old wooden staircase to a specific room amongst several indistinct doors on the second floor. An open window awaited at the end of the room.

As the creature gazed out, the flat roof top of another old building, slightly shorter than the window, laid just across a small chasm, but it was clear that a drop to the ground below would prove fatal. Shouting voices quickly approaching from the hall signaled that there was little time to decide. With little hesitation, the creature took several steps away from the window, paused for a moment, and dashed out the window, putting all its strength into a powerful leap that cleared the gap between the buildings.

From there, the creature was able to reach the ground floor and outside, making a break for it as far from its prison as it could. With newfound freedom, the creature was now driven by the desire to eat, and so a medley of enticing scents led it into the city.

It wandered aimlessly downtown, gazing intently inside restaurants at the patrons, enjoying the delicious-looking food in front of them. Curiously, it made its way into the alley nearby, just as an employee stepped out of a side door to dump a plate of food on the ground and go back in. The creature cautiously approached the pile, sniffing it for a moment before chowing down on the spread.

It was only able to gorge itself for a minute before its ears perked up, warning it of three stray dogs that had been hanging around approaching. They were regulars to this alley, and the food was there's to claim; baring their fangs, the dogs growled menacingly at the intruder as they slowly circled, ready to pounce.

Unfortunately for them, the creature had no intent of backing down. It's blue eyes gleamed as it bared its own set of sharp teeth, and furiously lunged at the foes.

/

"I must say: These so called, 'champions', seem more like professional wrestlers," Jack joked, as the two exited Taste of Edo and made a left towards the alley. The restaurant was much closer to their new residence, so the two decided to walk there to celebrate being selected to compete in the Dome of Doom. During dinner, they sat in the back of the restaurant, watching clips from the show on Ashi's phone.

Ashi shrugged, "What did you expect? It's all about spectacle; they guys aren't just there to make it harder for the contestants, but to make it more entertaining for the audience. They're probably more stuntmen than they are athletes. Although, I think that guy Sumoto is actually a former sumo wrestler. Who would have guessed, right?" she remarked sarcastically, and they both laughed.

All of a sudden, the couple was cut off by a pack of mangy-looking dogs fleeing from the alley they were about to pass, yelping and whimpering in pain. Curiously but cautiously, the couple gazed down the alley.

Standing there, bloodied and menacing, was a pure white wolf, staring at them with piercing blue eyes. It stared them down for a few moments, before collapsing in exhaustion, panting heavily.

Ashi's alarm turned to pity, and she quickly ran over to kneel down next to the canine. "The poor thing… we have to help it!" she yelled to Jack, placing a gentle hand against the lush white hide.

Jack approached the creature hesitantly, "Ashi, I'm not sure if we should get involved. Look at where we are; this… wolf… could have some sort of disease," he remarked, kneeling down next to her, "We have no idea where it's been."

"Well, maybe, but we won't know for sure unless we take it to a vet! Either way, it needs medical attention!" Ashi pleaded.

She was making a good point, Jack thought. Whatever it was, the creature needed help, and the Samurai couldn't ignore that. He was always willing to go out of his way for his fellow man, why should an innocent animal be any different? Perhaps years of avoiding sickly stray dogs had dulled his empathy towards them.

Carefully, Jack slid his arms underneath the animal, lifting and cradling it as he stood. There's an animal hospital just a few blocks down, let's hurry."

Ashi nodded, and the two rushed out of the alley to the vet.

/

They had been sitting in the waiting room for about a half hour when the weary vet finally came out to speak to them, worn from having worked all day. "Well, it's not a wolf, but it's about as close to one as you can get," the vet remarked, snapping off his rubber gloves, "It's a North Inuit, a pretty rare breed, especially for this area. Fun fact, though: that's the same breed of dog they use for the wolf on Game of—"

"Never mind that, how is it?" Ashi interjected with apparent concern.

The vet made a sour expression, then continued; "He'll be fine—it's male, by the way—no mange, no rabies, just some minor bites and scratches that should heal just fine. There is one thing, though…" Jack and Ashi looked at each other, then back at the vet, "Aside from the fresh wounds, the animal has several telltale scars; he was also rather aggressive, and we had to anesthetize him before we could get him on to the operating table. What I'm saying is that this dog was likely raised in a dog-fighting circle."

Jack's eyes widened, but Ashi's expression remained blank.

"Now, normally when people bring in an injured animal, I ask if they want to adopt it. But people usually bring in stray cats, dogs, something that can be domesticated pretty easily. This dog, though, I don't think will ever be able to adjust to that kind of life; he'll always have that killer instinct in him. So, what I'm going to do is send him over to the local pound, and they'll decide what to do with him over there," the vet explained, sounding somewhat somber about the animal's fate.

Jack nodded, "Yes, that is probably a wise decision."

But Ashi looked concerned, "Are you sure? Do you think anyone's going to adopt him?" she asked the vet.

"Hmm, probably not," he responded, "Older dogs don't get adopted too often; this one's only around four or five, but he's way too aggressive."

"And what if he isn't adopted?" she added, and Jack glanced at her curiously.

"Well, there's a good chance he'll be euthanized."

Ashi gasped, and Jack's head shot back in the vet's direction with a shocked look. They both took a moment to process the information, before Ashi spoke up again in a determined tone, "We'll take him."

Now, Jack and the vet looked at _her_ in surprise, "W-What?" the latter stammered.

"Ma'am, while I'm sure your heart's in the right place, I would strongly advise you _not_ to adopt this animal," he responded bluntly.

But Ashi was adamant, "I understand the danger, but I can't allow this innocent creature to be punished just for existing. I'm involved—" she looked to Jack in acknowledgment, " _we're_ involved now, we can't just abandon him!"

"Ashi, how can we afford to own a pet right now?" Jack argued, "We _just_ got the business going, it should be our only focus," he looked at her sympathetically, "I know it's hard, but we've done all we can for this animal."

"That's not true," she stood her ground once again, "That poor animal has spent its whole life being used as a tool for evil people. It doesn't know real trust because it was never shown it, but that doesn't mean its incapable. That dog deserves a loving home, and I know we can provide that for it."

Once again, Jack found himself unable to refute her, reminded of his own moral code. "B-But…" he searched vainly for a convincing response.

Ashi looked at him with puppy-dog eyes, the irony of which was not lost on her. "Pleeease?~" she begged innocently.

Jack's will finally broke; with a loud sigh, he turned to the vet and said, "We'll take the dog."

The vet, who had been staring at them with a glazed-over expression during their exchange, finally snapped back to reality. "Nnghokay, I just need you to fill out some paperwork first," he slurred, turning and walking away with a big sigh, "I'll just go get them and… the dog, for you."

As they stood there waiting, Jack's hands were in his pockets as he shook his head at how easily persuaded he was. Owning a pet was an enormous responsibility to begin with, but this wasn't just any old dog they were about to adopt. This animal raised to compete in illegal dogfighting rings, with large sums of money being gambled on its behalf. Its life was constantly on the line, kill or be killed; victory was the only course of survival. Whoever raised it had likely abused the animal, and any sort of affection would likely be foreign to it. Could it ever possibly adjust to the normal life of a pet?

Jack's worried thoughts ceased when Ashi slid her arm into the crook of his left elbow, hugging it and looking up at him with a warm smile. As difficult as it might be, he knew he was doing the right thing.

But sympathy wasn't the only reason Ashi wanted to adopt the dog. Deep down, she empathized with its troubled past. Its whole life was geared towards one purpose: to serve the means of selfish, greedy people who held no regard for the animal's well-being. Granted, her own upbringing was not nearly as bleak. But she knew what it was like to feel trapped in a life where no one cared about you unless you were perfect, something you would never be able to attain, _especially_ not in their eyes.

Even though the animal was now free, the horrible circumstances under which it was raised had likely scarred it more deeply than any of its bodily wounds. Ashi truly believed that she and Jack could be the ones to save the creature from its miserable state, just as Jack had saved her.

Moments later, the vet returned with a small stack of papers on a clipboard, handing it to Jack and pointing out several dotted lines on which he had to sign and date. After that, a couple of attendees brought the white dog out from the back on a chain leash, wearing a choker collar and a muzzle.

One of them handed Ashi a plastic bag containing a few days' worth of dog food, and a couple dog toys. "I'd keep that on, if I were you," he remarked, gesturing to the muzzle, "At least until you get him home."

Ashi looked down at the animal, sitting there so calmly and patiently, that she immediately doubted the necessity of the muzzle. Abruptly handing Jack the bag of pet supplies, she bent down to eye-level with the beast. They stared at each other silently, while everyone around them observed them in utter confusion at the moment they were sharing.

Jack spoke up, still holding the clipboard along with the bag, "Um, Ashi? We still have to give him a name. Did you have anything in mind?"

She thought for a moment, then carefully reached around the animal's head to unhook and remove the muzzle, causing everyone else to flinch. But surprisingly, the dog remained still, not breaking its gaze at Ashi.

"Let's just call him, 'Wolf'," she stated assuredly. Jack nodded, jotting the name down on the top form and handing it back to the vet, who had rolled his eyes at such an original name.

With all of the paperwork done, he sent them on their way.

/

The walk back to their building was only a few blocks longer than it would've been had they gone straight home from the restaurant.

Despite Jack's uncertainty that the Wolf would be receptive to his new surroundings, the animal immediately made himself right at home. The first thing Wolf did once they got inside was waltz over to the corner of the living room, lift its leg and relieve itself onto the floor, then lazily plop itself down on the couch.

"No, bad dog! We don't do that in here!" Jack shouted, walking up to the couch. Wolf growled at Jack as he got close, causing him to back off a bit.

Ashi then came between them, "Jack, you can't yell at him like that. He's probably had people screaming at him his whole life! What he needs now is positive reinforcement," she softly suggested.

Jack was taken aback by her response, "W-Wha… Ashi, we can't just excuse this behavior! If we're too lenient with him, he's going to walk all over us!" he gestured to Wolf, who was already falling asleep.

"I know, I know; but there's got to be another way to go about it. We have to show this animal that things are different for him now. How's he going to understand that if we just yell at him every time he makes a mistake?"

"Well he also needs to know _when_ he's making a mistake; animals don't just figure that out on their own," Jack remarked.

Ashi sighed, beginning to realize she may have been a little impulsive in this undertaking. "You're right… look, I'm sorry for twisting your arm on this whole thing, we should've talked it over more first. I'll clean that up, you go get ready for bed. We still have classes in the morning, we should get some rest."

Jack smiled, "Thanks… You don't have to take _all_ the blame; I could have just said no."

"Jack, we both know that isn't true," Ashi teased, and Jack playfully shoved her shoulder before turning and heading towards the hall.

/

The next morning, Jack was woken up earlier than usual.

Something was pushing against him, almost forcing him completely off the bed. It couldn't have been Ashi, she never took up that much space. He turned over to see their new pet laying there on the bed, wedged between the two of them.

Still exhausted, Jack's head fell back onto the pillow, only for Wolf to outstretch his legs and send Jack over the edge of the mattress. He landed with a thud, causing Ashi to shoot up from the bed in alarm.

"Wha…what's happening!?" she mumbled half-asleep, turning to see Jack was no longer next to her. Peeking over the side of the bed, she could see Jack lying facedown on the floor, "Jack…?"

Jack answered without moving, his voice muffled against the carpet, "Good morning, Ashi. Did _you_ sleep well?"

Ashi then noticed the animal taking up most of Jack's side of the bed, "Wolf, did you push Jack off the bed?" she asked in a mock disciplinary tone. The dog responded by lifting his head to lean it against her, looking up at her with much softer eyes than usual; Ashi's heart melted, caught off guard by such a wholesome reaction.

Lifting himself up against the bed, Jack got up to see Ashi gently petting the animals head, completely enamored with the beast. "Don't encourage him!" he scolded.

"I'm not! Just taking a different approach to discipline is all," she explained, before addressing Wolf in a firm voice, "Wolf, make room for Jack," while gesturing at his side of the bed. Amazingly, Wolf repositioned himself so that his legs were tucked underneath him, giving a surprised Jack some space. "There you go! See? He's such a smart boy!" she gushed, nuzzling the dog.

As Jack lifted the covers, about to slip back into bed, the alarm clock went off, eliminating any reason for him to lay back down. With a relenting sign, he dropped the sheet and stopped the beeping, shuffling over to the door. "I'll just use the bathroom first then," he muttered groggily as he left the bedroom.

/

"That looks good, just straighten out your leg a bit more," Jack instructed the young student showing him their latest kata.

Ashi was still upstairs, waiting to let Wolf in and feed him, so Jack went down ahead of her to open up the dojo. Sure enough, a couple of their more eager students were waiting out front, so Jack let them in and started warm ups.

Suddenly, Ashi came bursting in from the back door, "JACK!"

Jack whipped around so fast that he almost knocked over his student, who flailed his arms to keep their balance, "What, what is it!?"

"Wolf's gone! I let him out back to pee, and he must've slipped out from between the buildings!" she explained, slightly hysterical, "Jack, we have to go find him! What if he gets into trouble!?"

Grabbing her shoulders, Jack tried to calm her down, "Ashi, relax; take a deep breath. It's going to be okay, we'll find him. He couldn't have gotten too far, right?" He told their students to continue practicing on their own, and that he would be back shortly, before leading Ashi over to the door. "You go on ahead, one of us has to stay behind and teach class. Give Scotsman a call. He should be on his shift now, and I'm sure he'd be happy to help you look."

Ashi breathed deeply, much more relaxed now, "…Okay."

"I'll catch up with you once class is over," he assured her, sealing the deal with a quick kiss on the lips.

"If we're lucky, he'll turn up before then," she remarked, before heading out to look for their missing pet.

After that interruption, the lesson proceeded as normal and ended at the usual time. Immediately afterwards, Jack went upstairs to change clothing, then texted Ashi to see how the search was going. The fact that they weren't back yet told him that they had yet to find Wolf, and even though he was still somewhat at odds with the dog, Jack would do everything he could to find him. Ashi and Scotsman were currently riding around in his patrol car, so Jack took off in his bike to cover more ground.

Hours passed, and daylight quickly fading, but still no sign of Wolf. All three of them were tired and hungry from their exhaustive searching, and even Ashi was beginning to lose hope. The trio finally decided to call it quits, and continue even more extensively morning. Scotsman was driving Ashi home, with Jack not far behind.

"I don't understand, we've combed every inch'a this city! How can it be this hard t' find a pure white dog!? Ain't like ya see those every day!" Scotsman complained, in his usual raucous tone.

Ashi stared out the window, crestfallen; "I just hope nothing's happened to him. He's already had such a hard life, I thought Jack and I could be the ones to give him a new start. Maybe it's true what they say about old dogs…" she mused.

Scotsman nodded solemnly, "Aye, from what you've told me, I don't think a dog like that'd be cozyin' up to anyone any time soon. Not surprisin' he ran away…" he trailed off as they approached Ashi's building, "…But, uh, _this_ is a little surprisin'."

"What is?" Ashi asked, only to herself notice Wolf sitting patiently on the stoop of their home. She immediately jumped out of the car and ran up to the dog, getting him excited as well, "Wolf, you came back!"

"HA! Guess that ole' mutt already knew a thing or two!" Scotsman remarked as he leaned against his cruiser, watching the happy reunion.

Right then, Jack pulled up on his bike, only to see Ashi embracing the animal they had just spent the whole day looking for.

She noticed him sitting there in disbelief and called out, gushing about the dog once again, "Jack, look! Wolf came back all on his own! Isn't that great?"

What Jack heard was that they had wasted an entire afternoon, and he slammed his head against the bike's handlebars accordingly. "That's wonderful, I'm so glad…" he cheered blankly, giving a weak thumbs-up.

/

A few hours after the search, Jack was sitting on the couch by himself, watching nothing in particular. Ashi, convinced that Wolf had left because he didn't like the food they were giving him, went out to buy him a better brand, and so Jack was waiting up for her to return.

As he was flipping channels, Wolf came over and sat down in front of him, looking at Jack expectantly. He stared back, unsure of what to do, or what to expect from the animal. After a minute of silence, Jack finally squeaked out a, "H-Hello…"

Wolf continued to stare at him.

"You… gave us quite the scare today. First day with us and you run off, what's that about?" he chuckled, trying to get some sort of reaction from the animal, but to no avail. Wolf just kept staring. Jack's eyes traveled all over the room, almost intimidated by the animal's gaze, but he found that he was unable to ignore it. Instead, he continued, "Well, it's good that you came back. I'm impressed, actually, that you found your way home so easily. Like I said, it's only been a day. You're a…" he reached his right hand out hesitantly, "…smart one, aren't you?"

Slowly, Jack closed his eyes and reached out to pet the animal, expecting to be growled at or bit. But all he felt was the soft white fur lining the animal's face, opening his eyes to see the animal still watching him. He kept petting, and Wolf's eyes closed as he leaned into Jack's hand; he was actually enjoying it!

After a minute of petting, the dog moved from his spot on the floor and leapt onto the couch next to Jack, stepping over his lap and then plopping down right on top of it. Jack was cautious at first, but soon found it easy to rest his hands on the Wolf's back, stroking it gently. The dog opened his mouth wide to let out a big yawn, and Jack could hear its calm breathing as it began dozing off.

In that moment, Jack knew what all the fuss was about.

Ashi came home ten minutes later to find the two asleep right there on the couch, and almost woke them up with her adoring squeals.

/

A week had passed since Wolf became Jack and Ashi's pet, and he had quickly become part of the family. The animal had proven to be quite independent, and aside from feeding and letting him out, Wolf spent most of his days roaming around the neighborhood at his leisure. They bought him an official dog collar, with their address listed on one tag and another they had specially made which read, "I'm not lost, I just like to roam. Please be nice to me." Jack was a bit skeptical that such a thing was allowed, but they hadn't gotten any trouble over it yet. They took him for walks often as well, eager to bond with their pet.

That night, they got back from a late walk. Wolf ran up to the couch, then looked at the couple expectantly, wagging his tail. Jack and Ashi glared at each other, then raced to the couch, trying to push each other out of the way. In the end, Ashi reached the cushion first, and Wolf plopped himself down her lap. She shot Jack a smug grin, accompanied by a mocking, "Ha-ha!" Defeated, Jack went and sat down on the adjacent loveseat.

He didn't get much time to relax, as the doorbell rang a few minutes later, and he went downstairs to answer it. It was Scotsman, looking as proud as ever of himself. "I finally found it!" he raved, pushing past Jack and up the stars to their living room, "Hey, Ashi! Guess what!"

Wolf immediately came to attention at the presence of the stranger, barking a couple times before he picked up on who it was. He hopped off of Ashi's lap as she got up, "What? What did you find?"

"I found the location of that dog fightin' circle our friend here is from!" he cheered, gesturing to Wolf, "Like you asked me to!"

Ashi raised an eyebrow, "I did?"

Scotsman nodded, "Of course! You said the other day how you would've loved to break it up and bust those crooks yerself, remember!?" he explained, sounding quite excited himself at the prospect.

Ashi sighed, "Well, yeah, but I didn't think we were actually going to follow through with that. I was being facetious."

"Oh _reeeally_?" Scotsman replied with a knowing look.

"… _Mostly_ ," she admitted with a shrug.

Scotsman then addressed Jack just as he was coming back up the stairs, "What about you, Jackie boy? In the mood for a good ole' fashioned sting operation?"

Not really in the mood for policework, Jack humored his old partner, "When?"

"Tonight!"

"Tonight?" he answered incredulously, rubbing the back of his neck, "It's already a bit late for something like that, isn't it?"

Scotsman shook his head, "Nonsense! We used to pull late night stakeouts all the time back in the day! Besides, this is the only time'a day they actually hold the fights; it's now or never! ...Alright, maybe not _never_ , but I was really lookin' forward t' this, and I can't do it without you two!" he pleaded.

Ashi jumped back into the discussion, "Scott, I don't know…"

"Come ooon! I already got yer disguises, all the equipment, and the place is right outside'a town; we go in, get what we need, and be done before midnight!" Scotsman boasted persuasively.

Jack and Ashi thought for a moment, looked at each other, then at Wolf, and both decided to go through with it. "We're in," they affirmed simultaneously.

Scotsman laughed in approval, "That's the spirit! You'll see, this'll be an easy one!" he touted as he started down the stairs.

The couple stood there for a moment, realizing what they had agreed to. "Why do I get the feeling this is going to be anything _but_ easy?" Ashi remarked flatly.

Jack responded with a sigh, "Because nothing in our life is _ever_ easy."

They started walking out until they heard the jingle of Wolf's collar, and turned to see the dog following obediently behind them.

"Wolf, you stay here. This could be dangerous, and you've already dealt with these people enough," Jack directed firmly.

But Wolf whimpered in response, his way of refusing to be left out.

Ashi reached out and pet the animal, "Aww, don't be upset. We just don't want to see you get hurt anymore. It's our job now to take care of you; and right now, that means avenging your mistreatment at the hands of those petty criminals," she asserted.

Wolf let out a couple barks and growled, indicating both his understanding and his own desire for vengeance.

Jack and Ashi looked at each other with uncertainty. They had no intention of letting the animal actually fight, but if being there would make him feel better, they could at least bring him along, right?

Just then, Scotsman called out from downstairs, "YOU TWO COMIN' OR WHAT!?"

Wolf then ran ahead of them as Jack responded, "Yes, we're coming!"

/

It was now quarter to eleven.

Scotsman sat in his patrol car, parked behind a row of bushed outside the old farmhouse where the dog fights were being held. Wolf was in the car with him, sitting patiently in the passenger seat as Scotsman listened in on the transmission.

The officer and the dog watched as Jack and Ashi. Two sets of ratty, worn clothing served as their disguises, but Jack had a wire under his shirt and a tiny earpiece for Scotsman to keep in touch with him. Once he had the evidence he needed, Scotsman would signal that they could leave; the less time they had to spend there, the better. After a brief exchange with the bouncer, Scotsman and Wolf watched as Jack and Ashi disappeared inside the building.

The couple then came out into the huge open-floor arena of the farmhouse, filled with seedy gamblers. Nobody in the rambunctious crowd was any better dressed than either of them, and they were all too caught up in the action to even notice them. The official ring was made up of spectators, standing around two animals fighting to the death, holding up the wads of cash they were betting on the competitors.

Morbidly curious, the couple pushed their way into the crowd to see the fight, arriving just in time to see a rooster standing triumphantly over a heavily wounded rottweiler. The chicken let out a caw of victory, as a portly man with a handlebar moustache and wearing overalls overalls waddled into the ring with a small cage. He dropped the cage next to the rooster, which obediently strutted inside, as another man trudged over and unceremoniously hoisted the dog and brought it out of the ring. Jack and Ashi gazed upon the spectacle with serious disdain, failing to not show it on their faces.

A few minutes later, the portly man stood up in front of the room from a tiny podium on a small stage, where a visibly aged speaker system was set up. He picked up the microphone, giving it a few test taps, which caused a painful feedback in Jack's earpiece.

Scotsman then chimed in, "What in blazes was that!?" which in turn caused feedback through the speakers. It seemed their recording device and the sound system were on the same frequency. That's probably not good, thought Jack.

The man at the podium started speaking despite the interruption, in a heavy Italian accent. "Wasn't that-a fantastic match! Once again, 'El Pollo Caliente' has-a defended his title as-a arena champion!" he held the cage aloft, and the audience went wild.

The "master of ceremonies" placed the bird's cage on the podium, then turned to a chalk leaderboard to his left while twirling his moustache devilishly as he joked, "Now then, we got-a another challenger coming up very soon, so make-a sure you get-a your bets in soon! Next payout is-a gonna be a big one!" he touted, resting a hand on the rooster's cage, then quickly pulling it away as the animal went to nip his finger.

A large portion of the audience then herded towards the stage with wads of money to make their bets, Jack and Ashi almost getting swept up along with them. With the rabble occupied, they took the opportunity to do some reconnaissance. Jack kept a look out as Ashi snuck into the basement floor, quietly sneaking down a concrete corridor until she came upon the room where the animals were kept. She was surprised how many exotic animals there were. Aside from the garden variety dogs and cats, there were birds, snakes, possums, racoons; there was even a spider monkey on a leash, pounding it's chest like gorilla. Discreetly, Ashi took out her phone and snapped a picture of the space, before hurrying back to the main floor.

Ashi returned just before the next contender was about to be announced, and one of the crooks headed down the staircase she came from. Jack sighed in relief at the close call. The MC went back to the podium, picking up the mike again, "Now then, it-a is time for the next-a match!" he declared. The man who went downstairs returned with an opaque dog carrier, bringing it the edge of the fight circle and placing it down inside the circle. the cage was opened, and a tiny alligator emerged, barely two feet long, snapping at the air threateningly. The cage opened, and a tiny alligator emerged, barely two feet long, snapping at the air threateningly. "May I present to you: the cold-blooded killer; the jaws of death; the amphibious amputator; Looockjaaaaw!" the MC shouted into the microphone, causing an ear-splitting feedback into Jack's earpiece.

The auditory assault caused him to hastily pull the wire from his person and toss it to the ground. It only took him a split second to realize the mistake he made, as he noticed all eyes were on him and Ashi, daggers pointing in their direction.

The MC started speaking again, this time without the microphone, and slowly walking to the edge of the podium. "So… looks-a like a couple of _rats_ managed to sneak in here to compete…" he said, as the crowd began to circle the pair; some of them cracking their knuckles, others pulling out switch blades, brass knuckles, and other underhanded weapons. The MC continued, "Well, let-a me tell you something… we let a lotta different animals participate here," he crossed his arms, standing over them threateningly. Jack and Ashi each took a ready stance, backs to each other. "But _rats_ are _immediately disqualified_ …"

One of the thugs holding a knife lunged at them, only for Ashi to swiftly kick it out of his hand, then in his stomach, then an elbow to his face once he doubled over, putting him flat on his back. The rest of the crowd then leapt into action, and the fight was on.

Jack fought off three crooks that came at him in quick succession, pushing past them like punches as they ran headlong towards him. The last one, Jack used his foot to sweep the legs of, then brought his own leg down hard into their chest once they fell. Before two more could ambush him from the sides, he flipped backwards out of the dropkick, causing them to knock heads.

Ashi took this opportunity to take out her anger at how these people had been treating animals; many of the assailants that approached her were dropped before they could even flinch. One tried to get her from afar with an iron chain, but she merely caught it on her arm, yanking the fool right into her eager fist. The man let go of the chain as he fell, allowing Ashi to utilize by striking down a couple thugs, then catching another by the neck as he went at her. He only choked for a moment before Ashi spun him like a top into a small gaggle of crooks, bowling them over.

Meanwhile, Scotsman was trying his best to radio dispatch for back up, but Wolf had been barking furiously and scratching at the car door ever since they lost contact with Jack and Ashi. Finally fed up, he barked back, "ALRIGHT, YA NOISY MUTT!" reaching over to open the passenger door for the animal. Wolf immediately made a mad dash for the entrance to the old farmhouse.

Back inside, the MC could see the tide had changed against him; the thuggish gamblers were dropping like flies. Being the only one not actively involved in the scuffle, he snatched up the cage housing his feathered champion, and made a break for the exit.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack could see him getting away, but both he and Ashi were too preoccupied to stop him.

Much to everyone's surprise, the MC found his exit blocked by a familiar white dog, snarling and looking ready to pounce. The man started slowly backing away, as the canine slowly and menacingly stepped forward. "W-Well, if it isn't the o-old-a champion himself! J-Just c-couldn't stay outta the ring, now could you?" he chuckled nervously as the beast approached, "Oh, don't l-look at me like that! H-H-Haven't I always been a good owner to you? I-I saved you from that kennel, r-remember!? I _raised_ you; made you a winner! You-a liked that, I _know_ you did!" he pleaded desperately.

"Well, I'm sure it was better than the alternative!" Ashi interjected, her and Jack now standing within a circle of fallen foes. They stood with their arms crossed, observing this surprising development. Their part was over; this was Wolf's fight now.

Jack chimed in, "You forced that dog to fight for its life just so you could line your pockets, I'd hardly call that winning!"

"Looks like the joke's on you now, though. Your "victories" are back to bite you," Ashi boasted, clearly enjoying the man's just desserts, "Now _you_ get to feel what it's like to be on the losing side!"

The MC turned towards them arrogantly, "Not-a so fast! I _still_ have a winner on my side!" he declared, stepping back and placing down the cage he held. "Sorry, rover, but the truth is I don't-a need you anymore!" he boasted, addressing Wolf, "Allow me to introduce your replacement!" as he opened the small cage. El Pollo Caliente stepped out with a confident strut, locking eyes with the other animal. "He's-a made me more money in just a week than you have your entire career! This bird is a better champion than-a you ever were, and now he's-a gonna prove it!" the MC asserted.

"Not if we can help it!" Ashi shot back as her and Jack were about to rush over, but stopped when Wolf turned and barked threateningly at them. Ashi was taken aback, "Wha…Wolf, you _want_ to fight?" the dog barked assuredly in response.

Jack placed a hand on her shoulder, "This is his fight, Ashi. I don't think it's our place to step in on this one."

Ashi looked on in concern, "B-But…"

"I know, I'm worried, too; but ee're here for him if anything goes wrong," Jack said comfortingly, also trying to reassure himself that their pet would come out unscathed.

The two animals stood there, staring each other down. A hush fell over the room, both from the intensity of the faceoff and on account of almost everyone being out cold.

Finally, the MC spoke up again. "El Pollo Caliente… tear him to-a shreds!" he commanded, and the rooster let out a mighty wail before charging at Wolf. Time seemed to slow as the rooster leapt into the air, it's razor-sharp talons bared and ready. The MC grinned maliciously, while Jack and Ashi watched in breathless anticipation.

In an instant, Wolf deftly avoided the bird's strike and snatched it by the neck in his jaws. He shook his opponent back and forth violently several times before casually dropping it, swatting away the twitching rooster with his front paw.

Jack and Ashi stared blankly at the anticlimactic outcome. The MC blinked in slight confusion, scratched his head for a moment before muttering, "You know, in hindsight I, uh… I-a probably should have seen that-a coming…"

Suddenly, Wolf lashed out at the MC with a vicious snarl, causing him to stumble backwards onto the stage and knock over the aged speakers. A burst of sparks easily ignited the old, dry wood floor, and the tiny flame quickly grew ten times its size. The MC got up and ran cowardly towards the exit, as Wolf took off after him.

Ashi was about to pursue, but stopped when Jack grabbed her shoulder again. "We have to get these men out of here," he urged, gazing at all of the thugs they took out, "Go release the animals, I'll start bringing them to safety," he assured, already hoisting one of the crooks over his shoulder. Ashi nodded affirmatively, and ran back down the staircase.

Meanwhile, the MC didn't make it very far outside the barn before Wolf tackled him and began gnawing aggressively at the back of his shirt collar. Despite the dog not actually biting into his flesh, the rotund Italian cried out in pain, begging for help even after Wolf stopped. The dog ran back into the farmhouse as a shadow loomed over them, and the MC looked up to see Scotsman standing over him.

"Not a dog person, eh?" the officer smirked, dangling a pair of handcuffs in front of him as the MC gulped nervously.

Back inside, some of the crooks were already coming to, and had quickly realized the danger they were in. The rest, Jack and Ashi had to carry outside, one at a time. As for the animals, Ashi had trouble evacuating them once they were all released from their cages, but Wolf showed up to herd them all to safety; he still held the position as the alpha of the group, it seemed.

By the time Jack, Ashi and Wolf had evacuated just about everyone, the fire had nearly engulfed the arena. The last crook woke up and made a mad dash for the exit, and now it was time for three of them to follow suit. Before they could, however, the flaming doorway gave way and collapsed into a burning pile, blocking their only way out.

"What do we do now!?" Ashi cried out, holding onto Jack as the inferno closed in around them. The air was thick with black smoke. Their fate looked bleak, but just before they could lose hope, they heard Wolf barking across the room; he seemed to want them to follow him to the ascending staircase. With no other choice, they grabbed each other's hand and ran after their pet, covering their faces with their free arms.

They came to a hallway with several doors. The flames had only just begun to reach the second floor, but they were moving quickly. Wolf started scratching and barking at one of the doors, so Jack stepped back and kicked it open, revealing an open window at the end of the room.

Wolf immediately bolted, leaping out the window which cause Jack and Ashi to gasp. They ran up to it and saw that he had landed safely atop the roof of the building next door, untouched by the fire. Looking down at the gap between the buildings gave them pause, but the fire beginning to creep in from the hallway was all the motivation they needed. Still holding hands, the couple stepped back a few feet, then followed their pet's example, leaping across the chasm to safety.

They landed with a tuck and roll before falling back onto their butts, sighing in relief. Wolf walked up and sat between them, and they both lovingly pet the animal as it nuzzles their hands. Ashi smiled, feeling even more validated in her decision to save the animal, and found it ironic that it only took a week for him to _literally_ save them back.

"Good boy…" Jack praised quietly, as they watched the crooks down below being apprehended by the cops that had arrived not long ago.

—END CHAPTER 18—


	20. Jack and Ashi help Scotsman

**AN: Well, finally go this one done. I started it almost immediately after I finished the last one, but then I took a huuuuuge hiatus when it was like 70% done. Part of it was me not being happy with how the chapter was going, but I was also just procrastinating in general. On a related note, I played Kingdom Hearts 3 between then and now, and it left me with a similar feeling to when I first watched the Samurai Jack finale. I'm not spoiling anything if you haven't played it, but everyone who has will know what I'm talking about. Aside from that little tidbit, I wrote a KH oneshot earlier this month (which you should totally check out), and that's what finally got me to get back to work on this. And I gotta say, I hated this chapter a lot less when I read what I already had. There's always one or two plot points that I feel need to be ironed out, but I figured that this chapter is pretty inconsequential to the overall plot, so all it really just has to be fun. And here we are. Enjoy!**

* * *

—CHAPTER 19—

It was almost ten at night in the Old North End, and the day's bustling activity had quieted down long ago. On the sidewalk sat a dirty worn beggar, holding his hand out to random passersby that paid him neither money nor mind.

A man in a three-piece suit eventually came strolling by, and stopped to look at the weary old homeless man. Feeling a twinge of emotion, he pulled out his wallet and looked for something small to give him, but ended up pulling out a hundred-dollar bill. The man looked at the note, then down at the poor beggar's solemn face, his eyes pleading for any sort of help. The wealthy man, however, chuckled pompously, shaking his head as he held the money away from the beggar, dashing his hopes.

All of a sudden, two vehicles came whizzing past, startling both men. The man in the suit dropped the bill, letting it flutter to the ground as he watched the high-speed chase drift around the corner. He also failed to notice the beggar eagerly snatch up the money and flee almost as quickly as the passing vehicles.

One of the vehicles was a classic hot-rod car, which along with its four passengers, looked straight out of the 1950s. The quartet had initially made off with a large sum of cash carried in a large leather top handle bag, which they had pilfered from multiple establishments across town. That bag of loot had _itself_ been stolen, and they were now in pursuit of the ones who had taken it from them.

The motorcycle could have easily lost the relic of a car, but Jack and Ashi wanted to make sure they were being followed. Scotsman had once again enlisted their help in tracking down his latest perpetrators, and right now their mission was to recover the stolen money and apprehend the outdated criminals. They had already accomplished the former, Ashi holding the sack of money in one arm and holding tightly onto Jack with the other.

The chase continued for several blocks, but the motorcycle was actually leading its pursuers in a huge circle to buy time. Jack and Ashi were waiting on Scotsman to give them the signal on their cellphones. Sure enough, both of their phones went off simultaneously, and Jack immediately changed their course.

Once they reached the correct street, Ashi turned around and waved the sack of loot tantalizingly at the pursuers. The hot rod sped up, ready to ram the motorbike, until Ashi tossed the sack over the windshield and into the car, prompting a look of confusion from the occupants. Her only response was a bright smile and wave before turning back around to grab hold of Jack, as the bike swerved onto the sidewalk and leapt off of a makeshift ramp made out a stack of garbage cans.

At the same time, the hot rod ran over a row of spike strips that completely eviscerated the hot rod's old tires. The vehicle came to a screeching halt, as several cop cars emerged from the alleys and quickly surrounded the greaser gang, who had no choice but to put their hands up in surrender.

A little while later, Jack and Ashi reconvened with Scotsman at the scene of the arrests.

"Great job as usual, you two!" Scotsman bellowed, "I know yer busy with the new job and all that, but havin' ye help out makes this a helluva lot easier!"

Jack shook his head, "It's no trouble, old friend. We only give lessons during the day anyway. And to be honest, I _have_ been missing the thrill of apprehending criminals," he admitted, looking at a beaming Ashi to his left as he mused, "It's nice to relieve the old days while also doing some good."

"I agree!" Ashi chimed in, "And Scot, you've really been cleaning up around here; this is your fourth operation this month! Why so eager lately?"

Scotsman crossed his arms and raised his shoulders proudly, "Well, to tell ye the truth, I'm inspired by the both'a ye! Especially you, Jack; even after all ya been through, ya still manage to bounce back, and prove to us yer still tough as ya were on the force!"

"Oh, well… that's very kind of you to say," Jack responded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Ashi smiled at his modesty and hugged him from the side.

"But that's not all," Scotsman continued, "I've gotta stay in top shape fer whatever AKu's got up his sleeve. He could make a move any day now, I've got to be ready fer anythin'! We _all_ do."

Ashi's face fell at the mention of her Father, while Jack instinctively held her back in response.

"Well…whatever he's planning, the three of us will stop it!" Ashi declared, looking up at Jack, who nodded in agreement.

Scotsman laughed triumphantly, "Ya got that right! And until AKu makes his move, _I'll_ keep trackin' down all'a his cronies! I'm on a roll now, and _nothin's_ gonna stop me!"

/

Later that night, Jack and Ashi's slumber was interrupted by the doorbell, which set Wolf off barking as well. With a tired groan, Ashi urged Jack on to go investigate, as Wolf hopped off the bed readily. Half asleep himself, he trudged out into the hallway and down the stairs to the front door. Wolf stood guarded at the top of the stairs as Jack glanced into the peephole, revealing the intruder to be none other than Scotsman.

With a sigh, Jack unlocked and opened the door, rubbing his left eye. "I certainly hope you're not looking for help on another case right now," he yawned.

"…Not this time…" Scotsman said with a sniffle.

A bit more aware now, Jack noticed that his friend had been crying. "Um…is everything okay?" he asked with gentle concern.

Scotsman hiccupped, "Oh, yeah. Everything's just… just…" he couldn't finish his sentence as his lip quivered, and tears began to flow over his orange scruff. Without warning, Scotsman grabbed his friend in a forceful embrace and began sobbing in loud, mournful wails.

Caught off guard, Jack awkwardly pat his friend on the back, "Uhh… there, there, friend. Would you like to come inside and talk about it?" Scotsman nodded sadly, and the two went upstairs and sat down on the couch.

"So, what seems to be the trouble?" Jack asked interestedly, eager to aid his old friend in his time of need.

In response, Scotsman simply buried his face into his hands and resumed his loud sobbing. Wolf, who was sitting closer to the couch, left the room and went down the hall, passing Ashi as she emerged from the bedroom.

Slightly irritable at having to get up herself, Ashi complained, "What's with all the noise?" only to see Jack comforting a crying Scotsman on the couch, and adopting a concerned tone, "Scot? What are you doing here? What's wrong?"

Scotsman wiped his eye, sniffling again, "It's the wife, she kicked me out… she got mad at me fer always gettin' home so late from work, tellin' me I been puttin' it before the family. But it's all fer them I been workin' so much in the first place!" he asserted with a twinge of frustration, before sobbing again.

"Well, did you tell her that?" Ashi asked, sitting on the other side of Scotsman on the couch.

"I was gonna, but she wouldn't give me a chance to explain, an' I know better than to interrupt that woman when she's in a fury," he replied, slipping into a lovestruck adoration of his spouse, "Ahhh, that woman's temper flares with the same burnin' intensity of my love fer her. That's another reason I didn't argue; I couldn't help but gawk at her raw beauty as she tore into me… 'til I realized that she wanted me to scram!" then burst back into tears.

Jack placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, "Do not worry, my friend. I'm sure your wife will have calmed down by tomorrow. For now, you're more than welcome to spend the night in our guest room."

"Yeah, and you'll be the first person to sleep in it!" Ashi added cheerily, standing up from the couch, "We needed someone to finally break in that bed. Try not to take that too literally, though," she teased, lightly backhanding Scotsman's gut.

He gave a small chuckle as he wiped his eye. "Aye, got me there, lass." Scotsman remarked as he stood up, Jack following suit, "Thank you both so much fer this, I don't know what I would do without friends like the two'a you watchin' my back," he gushed, tightly hugging Jack in Ashi with both arms.

"Back at you, buddy…" Ashi replied in a strained voice, "Now, can we go back to bed?"

"Oh, of course!" Scotsman abruptly let go of them, and they immediately started back down the hallway, "Sorry fer interruptin' yer slumber, an' thanks again for puttin' me up tonight!"

"It's no trouble, make yourself at home," Jack responded, waving goodnight without turning back. In the back of his mind, he wondered if that was poor choice of words.

/

Jack and Ashi had only been asleep for an hour or so before they were abruptly awoken once again.

"Ugghhh, what now…?" Ashi mumbled into her pillow.

Sitting up to look around, Jack immediately realized that it was Scotsman's snoring that had woken them up. "It seems our guest is quite pleased with his accommodations," he sighed.

"Good for him; close the door," she muttered.

"It _is_ closed."

Ashi groaned, folding her pillow over her ears as Jack fell back into his. Wolf whimpered at the foot of the bed, and tried to cover his own ears with his paws.

The night continued this way, with the three of them drifting in and out of sleep amidst the noise. Before they knew it, morning was creeping in through the shades, and none of them felt rested in the slightest.

Finally, the loud snoring ceased, and with only half an hour before the alarm went off, they tried to make the most of it.

They awoke to a peculiar scent, and when they opened the bedroom door, they found that the apartment was thick with white smoke emanating from the kitchen. Scotsman, of course, was at the stove, whistling a jaunty tune.

"Ah! G'mornin, you two! Sleep well?" he greeted cheerfully, noticing them as they rounded the corner into the kitchen. The table and countertops had seen better days; egg shells and food packaging strewn about, along with drops of yolk and various liquids

Jack rubbed his eyes, trying to take in the mess he was witnessing, "To be honest, not so well…"

Scotsman shot them a curious look, "Really? How come?"

"Because your snoring kept us up most of the night," Ashi interjected, with a hint of venom in her tone.

"Well, that's too bad, because _I_ slept great; best sleep I've had in years!" Scotsman touted, completely ignoring the jab at him, "I forgot how amazing it is t' have a whole bed t' yerself!" he gushed, flipping eggs in a pan that were starting to burn.

Jack and Ashi stood there staring, quietly judging his method. "I see you are…making breakfast…" Jack finally pointed out with slight condescension, which Scotsman failed to pick up on.

"Sure am! S'been so long since I cooked _anything_ ; the wife always took care'a that!" His face fell for a moment, "Ohh, I do miss that woman…" but he rebounded just as quickly, "So, I figured, what better way to thank my two good friends than to flex the ole' culinary muscles, eh? As long as I'm here, I'll be yer honorary personal chef!" he declared proudly.

Ashi was quick to jump in to protest, "Scot, that's… _really_ not necessary. We're happy to have you simply as our guest. _Just_ our guest," she emphasized with mild aggravation.

But Scotsman eagerly dismissed her, "Ahh it's no trouble, I'm happy to help!" With that, he then put the overcooked eggs on to two separate plates with burnt bacon and toast, and set them out on the table for his gracious hosts. "Well, dig in!"

Begrudgingly, the couple sat down and started to eat, finding that the blackish breakfast food was, surprisingly, as bad as it looked. Still, they were awfully hungry having just woken up, and far be it from them to be ungrateful.

"Look, this is really nice. But you don't have to keep cooking for us, you know," Jack remarked, chewing a particularly tough strip of bacon.

"Nonsense! I got the time, an' you two got the stomachs! 'Sides, it'd do ye well to indulge in a little Scottish cuisine! Speaking of…" Scotsman suddenly remembered the pièce de résistance: a large bowl of viscous black liquid which he plopped down in between them on the table, "I almost forgot the best part of the meal!"

Visibly disgusted, Ashi peered into the bowl, "What _is_ that?"

"Black pudding: a Scottish delicacy!" he declared proudly.

"Okay…but what's in it?" she asked cautiously. She could see Jack across from her staring dead-eyed at the vile concoction, as if it had dredged up unpleasant memories which he was now reliving.

"Nothin' too fancy, just pig's blood, fat, oats and barley! Oh, and it's actually supposed to be a kind'a blood sausage, but I didn't have the right stuff fer that," Scotsman shrugged.

Ashi looked at him in disbelief, "You mean to tell me that _this_ ," she picked up the spoon in the pudding, letting the inky slop slink back into the bowl, "is supposed to be a sausage, and you're feeding it to us _as is_ …!?

"I promise ya, it's just as good! All the same ingredients, but they go down waaay easier!" Scotsman laughed heartily, "My family back in Scotland used to serve it raw when I was little; s'how a real Scot puts hair on their chest!" he stated proudly, patting his own chest, "Just ask Jack, he's had it before!"

Jack looked up with a thousand-yard stare, but managed to eek out an unconvincing smile. "Yeah, I can see that…" Ashi remarked.

Scotsman then glanced at his watch, and realized how late it had gotten. "Well, I should be headin' off to work; ye two enjoy that now, but make sure ye save me a little fer later!" he requested as he headed for the door.

"Oh, don't you worry. There'll be… plenty left," Ashi remarked, flashing her own weak smile to their friend as he stepped out the door.

As soon as it was closed, Jack shot up from his seat and made a break for the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Ashi went over to check on him, and she could hear him retching from the outside.

/

Two days later, Jack and Ashi were in the middle of an afternoon class, demonstrating a type of throw.

"They key here is to keep your leading foot firmly planted behind their leg…" Jack explained, but before he could finish the demonstration, a loud and blaring sound coming from upstairs caused him to catch her swiftly in alarm. The class started looking around for the source of the noise, but Jack knew immediately what it was. With a sigh, he stood Ashi back up and started for the door, "I'll be right back."

As he left the room, Ashi turned to the students with a huff, "A little advice: Hospitality is overrated."

Upstairs, Jack opened the front door to see Scotsman standing in there, in the middle of the living room, wailing away on his infamous bagpipes. He was playing so passionately that he didn't even notice Jack walk in.

"Scotsman?" Jack asked politely, only to go unheard over the shrill instrument. He asked again, louder this time, "Hey, Scotsman?"

No response.

"SCOT!"

Scotsman jolted out of his musical stupor, looking around hastily before his eyes finally fell upon Jack, "Oh hey there, buddy! Aren't you supposed to be teachin' a class?"

"That's… actually why I'm here," Jack rubbed the back of his head, preparing to break the news, "Your bagpipe playing; it's rather… distracting. Do you think you could maybe practice it a little later?"

Scotsman's face fell, "Aww, come on! I only got another hour before I gotta go on patrol, you two'll be asleep by the time I get home! I can't play then!" he pleaded uncharacteristically, "This is my only opportunity to soothe my achin' spirirt with a wistful melody. Otherwise…" he paused. His lip began to quiver and eyes welled, "I-I might not make it through the day…" he sniffled.

Jack looked upon his friend sympathetically, finally relenting, "A-Alright, you can play until you leave for work. Just… play a little softer, please?"

Scotsman lightened up immediately, "Really…!? Aww Jack, yer really somethin' else! Thanks, pal!" giving him a hard, affectionate slap on the back.

"…Don't mention it," he answered, still reeling, "I have to head back downstairs, have a good patrol," he waved as he started away.

Scotsman saluted off his partner, calling out to him from only several feet away, "Sure thing, bud! And don't worry, the wife's probably started to simmer down; I'll be outta your hair before ya know it!"

Jack flashed a small smile as he opened the door, "Yes, well, let's hope so," and stepped out. He shut the door and stood there for a moment or two, surprised that the silence had remained. Sure enough, however, the bagpipes started up again at about the same volume, causing Jack to sigh as he headed downstairs.

Jack walked back into the dojo to see his students stood in rows, practicing their drills, while Ashi stood at the helm. She turned to him with a not so happy look on her face as he approached, the noise upstairs having resumed.

"Work on your own for now, we'll be right with you," she instructed the class as she pulled Jack off to the side of the room. Ashi looked at him disappointedly, "Jack, what happened? I thought you were going to do something about this?"

Jack hung his head, "I was going to, but then he got all upset and said that he was playing to feel better…" he looked up to see Ashi staring at him, half-lidded with a cocked eyebrow. "H-He can't play when he gets home from work, it's only an hour or so before he leaves," Jack explained defensively.

"That's another thing: it's been three days and he hasn't made a single effort to patch things up with his wife. Don't you think he should be back home by now? Has he even called her? Does she even _know_ where he is?" she wondered aloud.

"Well, there _is_ good news; he says he's going to be, 'out of our hair' soon, so there's a decent chance he means tomorrow…ish," Jack stated with a sheepish expression.

Ashi pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh, "I sure hope so, I don't know how much longer I can take this. Let's just hope all he needs is another day or two," she remarked hopefully before walking back to address the class.

/

One week later, Jack and Ashi's "honored" guest had become more of a tenant by now. The guest room was looking just like Scotsman's room back home. He would come and go as he pleased, and even had his own house key made without his hosts knowing. Not a night went by that Scotsman didn't assert himself as the one in charge of dinner; some nights he would make an esoteric Scottish dish, others a normal meal, but it was always less than adequately prepared. On top of that, his snoring meant that Jack and Ashi hadn't seen a good night's sleep since he moved in, and their patience was wearing thin.

At first, Jack only felt empathy for his friend's plight. Having faced a similar situation not too long ago, he felt a righteous obligation to be there for his friend. After all, Scotsman had done his best to help him when he was in that place, the least Jack could do was offer _his_ place. But after a week of Scotsman living with them, Jack now felt like his friend was taking advantage of their hospitality.

Ashi, on the other hand, was less mad at Jack for being so lenient with Scotsman than she was with herself for letting it continue. He was her friend, too, but she would never allow someone to walk all over her like that, which was what it felt like Scotsman was doing: trampling on their privacy by making himself at home so readily. Combined with the lack of sleep, it drove her mad just thinking about the situation, but she still didn't have the heart to kick him to the curb… not yet, at least.

The couple returned home after an afternoon class to find their guest lying on the couch, watching one of the films where a group of guys prank each other in vile and often painful ways, or perform ridiculous and dangerous stunts. On screen, two of the "stuntmen" rode a shopping cart down a steep hill, only for it to topple over and send them spilling out halfway down. One of them managed to strike his groin against a street sign, which elicited a howling laughter from Scotsman

He finally noticed the them standing there, "Oh, hey, you two! Dinner's already on the table, help yerselves!" he greeted.

Jack and Ashi looked over at the kitchen to see a strange hunk of meat on a platter in the center of the table. Behind it, a countertop so messy you could barely see the marble surface. Wolf was lying off to the side trying to eat a piece of the mystery loaf Scotsman had thrown him, before eventually giving up and kicking it around like a chew toy. Ashi looked up at Jack with a tired, aggravated gaze, and he knew what he had to do.

"Scotsman, we'd like to have a word with you," Jack declared commandingly, stepping up next to the couch where his guest lay.

Scotsman's eyes didn't leave the screen as he responded with a dismissive wave, "Yeah, yeah, sure thing. I just wanna see the end'a this first."

One of the stuntmen on TV addressed the audience for the next prank, " _Our friend, Austin, is in that port-a-potty there, and he_ hates _snakes, so guess what we're gonna fill it with?_ " The film cut to the one of the men standing on a ladder over the port-a-potty, holding a bucket of live snakes while the others put a lock on the door. On cue, he opened a secret hatch on the roof and poured the serpents in, causing the man inside to shriek in terror and desperately try to escape the confinement. They let him stew for a minute or so, before the first man yelled, " _Do the thing!_ " and suddenly the entire port-a-potty was launched high into the air by hidden bungee cords, and the man looked into the camera with a comical grin and holding a thumbs up, as the box disappeared over the horizon.

"AAAHAHAHAHAHAHA, WHAT A JACKASS!" Scotsman howled. Ashi had finally had enough, marching over and shutting off the TV. "Hey, I was watchin' that!" he protested.

Ashi put her hands on her hips authoritatively, "Scot, we've been more than patient with you this past week, but enough is enough! It's time you went home and made up with your wife!" she ordered.

Scotsman looked dumbfounded, "Wha… After all I've done around here, tryin' to be a good guest, cookin' hearty meals for ya every night; _this_ is the thanks I get!?" he spat, turning to Jack, "Jack! Yer not kickin' me out too, are ya!?" he pleaded with his friend.

Jack nodded as he spoke sheepishly, "I'm afraid so… Look, I know you've been trying to help around here, but we simply cannot accommodate you any longer. Besides, you seem like you're in a better place than you were a week ago. Maybe it _is_ time to patch things up with Molly…?" Jack pushed carefully, knowing how delicate his friend could be when it came to the wife.

Scotsman opened his mouth again, frozen, grasping for a rebuttal, before finally dropping his shoulders with a sigh. "Yer right, maybe I been away fer too long. But you know Molly, I can't just waltz in like nothin' happened, an' I can't just call! I need t' do somethin' romantic, a grand gesture! I need…" he looked around frantically, before his eyes finally landed on his two hosts, "I need yer help!"

"Us?" Jack and Ashi said in unison.

"Aye! You both know plenty about sappy, romantic stuff! Help me figure out how to get my muffin's lovin' back!" Scotsman pleaded.

They looked at each other in tired resignation, knowing full well that this open-ended task was the only way to get their apartment back to themselves. "Alright, we'll help," Jack sighed, "What do you need us to do?"

Scotsman held his chin in contemplation for a moment, before snapping his fingers and running off to his room. "Wait right there, I got a plan!" he yelled excitedly from the guest room. He emerged shortly with a piece of paper and a pencil, sitting down at the couch as he explained; "I'm gonna write my darlin' the most romantic, heartfelt, tear-jerkin', butterfly-inducin' love poem that has ever been! And I need the two'a you to deliver it for me, along with an invite to a lovely dinner at the ritziest place in town!" he exclaimed as he scribbled furiously, adding, "In fact, let's make it a _double_ date! My treat!"

Jack and Ashi's eyes widened. "O-Oh no, that won't be necessary! We're perfectly content with being your faithful messengers and leaving it at that," Ashi hastily explained.

"Yes! After all, you've treated us to so many…delicious meals already!" Jack chimed in, "We do not wish to impose your services any longer, my friend."

Scotsman smiled, "Are ye kiddin'? I been imposin' on you two all week, an' yer still doin' favors for me! One more favor's the _least_ I could do fer you!" he insisted.

Jack laughed awkwardly, "Well, when you put it _that_ way—"

"Then it's settled!" Scotsman pounded the coffee table in accentuation and dropping the pencil he was using, "You two'll head over to my place and read my carefully crafted prose to my wife, get here to meet us at that fancy French place later tonight, an' I'll finally get to sleep in my own bed again!" he folded the piece of paper into thirds and handed it to them.

"Sure, sounds like a plan…" Ashi sighed, as Jack begrudgingly took the poem and slipped it in his coat pocket.

/

The couple left soon after their discussion with Scotsman, eager to finally put an end to this episode.

His house stood a few miles out of town, a two-story shingle style home just before the farmlands. The bike pulled into the cobblestone driveway, and the couple hopped off lazily and started for the door.

Jack spoke up, "Before we do this, perhaps I should warn you about what we're getting into."

"Forget it, let's just get this over with," Ashi dismissed with a mildly annoyed tone, as they walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

Moments later, the door opened, and a tall, buxom redhead with a headband and two long pigtails stepped into the doorway. Wearing a low-cut tank top with an exposed midriff, and tight jean shorts that barely covered her long, toned legs, the girl looked down at them with a disinterested stare. "Can I help ya—" she started in a familiar accent before her eyes widened in realization, "Oh my gosh, Jack! Is that you!?" she cupped her face in amazement.

Jack waved with a sheepish grin, feeling a shock of his own. "Flora, good to see you again! You've certainly…grown since I last saw you," he remarked, trying his damnedest not to leave her eyes and look down. The last time he saw her was at least a year ago, prior to his depressed state, and she was barely at shoulder height then. Now, she was a full head taller than him, and he practically had to crane his neck to see her face. The fact that she had stepped uncomfortably close to him didn't make it any easier.

"Yeeeah, I had a growth spurt…" she cooed, twirling her pigtail with an enamored gaze that turned to disinterest as she noticed Ashi, who was staring Flora up and down without discretion. "Who's this?" she asked blankly.

"Oh, of course," Jack regained focus, "Flora, this is Ashi. My girlfriend," he emphasized by putting his arm around her, while her gaze was still locked on Flora's features, "Ashi, this is Flora. Scotsman's daughter."

It took Ashi a few seconds to realize that they Jack and Flora were both staring at _her_ now, waiting for her to introduce herself. She shook herself out of it and held out her hand, "H-H-Hi, nice to meet you."

Flora shook her hand begrudgingly, "Please, the pleasure's _all_ mine," she responded somewhat harshly before releasing her vice grip on Ashi's hand.

"Heh, you have your Father's grip…" Ashi laughed awkwardly, clutching her throbbing hand.

Jack spoke up again, "Anyway, we were wondering if we could speak to your Mother for a moment. Is she home?"

"Yeah, one sec," the towering girl sighed before shutting the door halfway and heading back into the house.

As they waited at the door, Ashi massaged her hand, blowing air out through her teeth. "Sheesh, well we know she didn't get her _looks_ from Scot. Must be from the Mom's side…" she mused.

Jack chuckled at the remark, and Ashi was only able to shoot him a curious look before a quiet stomping caught her attention, slowly getting louder as it approached them. The front door began to slowly creak open, and a curvaceous feminine silhouette could be seen in the doorway. Ashi held her breath in anticipation of finally meeting the woman her friend so revered, who somehow gave birth to a ginger Amazonian goddess of a daughter.

Instead, a rotund behemoth of a woman with a snaggletooth maw, visibly leathery skin, and mangy red hair tied up in a bun, emerged from the doorway screeching in a thick Scottish accent, "ALRIGHT, WHAT IS IT YA MANNERLESS, STREET-PEDALIN' SOLICITERS!? DON'CHA KNOW MOST FOLKS ARE TRYNA HAVE A NICE FAMILY MEAL AT THIS HOUR!? JUST BECAUSE YA SILLY MORMONS CAN ASK ONE A YER TWELVE WIVES TO COOK YA UP A HOT PORRIDGE—OR WHATEVER YA PEOPLE EAT—AT ANY BLASTED HOUR YA FEEL LIKE, DOESN'T MEAN EVERYONE ELSE WANTS TO SEE YER GOOFY PLEATED PLANTS AND PLASTIC HAIR, YAMMERIN' ABOUT WHY YA'D RATHER PEDDLE YER FAITH LIKE DOOR-TO-DOOR CELL PHONE SALESMAN, 'STEAD A' JUST GOIN' TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! YA BETTER HOPE MY ROAST DOESN'T BURN WHILE I'M STANDIN' HERE—" she stopped abruptly, looking intensely at Jack for a moment, eyes squinting, "Wait, a minute…" then they widened in realization, "JACK, IS THAT YOU!? YA LOOK LIKE A BLOODY' NEANDERTHAL! I AIN'T SEEN YOU IN ALMOST A YEAR, AND YA COME AROUND UNANNOUNCED LIKE YA JUST CLIMBED OUTTA YER CAVE TO SHOW EVERYONE HOW T' MAKE FIRE! MUST'A FERGOTTIN' HOW T' USE A PHONE; HOW AM I SUPPOSED T' BE A GOOD HOST AND MAKE SURE MY GUEST HAVE ENOUGH T' EAT, WHEN THEY JUST COME AROUND ALL WILLY-NILLY LIKE SOME SMELLY BOHEMIAN—AND WHO'S THIS NOW!?" she aggressively gestured to Ashi, who was losing her patience at the woman's ranting.

Ashi took a deep breath, "Hello there! I'm Ashi, Jack's girlfriend. We're sorry to drop by so suddenly, but we're here to—" she was interrupted by Scotsman's wife, who had been staring at her in disbelief.

"HIS _WHAT_!? YA MUST BE PULLIN' MY LEG; YER TELLIN' ME THIS SHAGGY HOBO ACTUALLY MANAGED TO BAG A LASS!? DO YA HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE FROM BEIN' THROWN OFF'A THAT TWO-WHEELED DEATH MACHINE HE RIDES!?" Scotsman's wife put her hands on her hips, turning to Jack again, "SPEAKIN'A DEADBEATS, YOU SEEN MY HUSBAND AROUND? I KICKED HIM OUT LAST WEEK AN' I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM SINCE! YOU'D THINK AFTER TWENTY THREE YEARS OF MARRIAGE HE'D LEARN HOW T' TAKE A HINT, BUT HE JUS' KEEPS ROLLIN' OVER AND GOES ON HIS NAMBY-PAMBY WAY TO SOME HOVEL FOR A FEW DAYS, 'FORE CALL HIM AND TELL HIM T' GET HIS BUTT HOME! WELL, NOT _THIS_ TIME!"

Jack loudly inserted himself into the conversation, "THAT'S… actually why we're here, Molly. You see, we have a message for you, which he asked us to hand deliver," he explained, pulling the letter from his coat pocket.

"OH, DO YA NOW?" Molly's eyebrow raised suspiciously, followed by an eye roll, "WELL, I SUPPOSE YA BETTER COME INSIDE THEN. DON'T NEED THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD TO HEAR WHATEVER SCHLOCK THAT OAF'S WRITTEN!" she bellowed, turning and heading back into the house.

Once out of earshot, Ashi's eyes widened. "Wow… how does Scotsman and… _that_ … make someone like Flora?" she wondered out loud.

"Celtic magic," Jack answered blankly.

"GET YER FANNIES IN HERE AND CLOSE THE FRONT DOOR, YER LETTIN' THE BUGS IN!" Molly roared from inside, and the couple hastily followed after her, closing the door behind them.

She had her guests sit in the dining room as she checked on dinner. After a couple minutes, the large woman waddled into dining room and sat across from Jack and Ashi at the table, looking at them with her naturally furrowed brow, not saying a word.

Jack and Ashi both looked around uneasily for a moment before Molly broke the silence. "WELL WHAT ARE YA WAITIN' FOR!? HAND IT OVER!" she demanded, leaning forward menacingly. Recoiling slightly, Jack held out the letter and she quickly snatched it up.

They watched her open the envelope and begin reading the poem within, as her scowling face slowly turned up into an infatuated grin. After reading the whole thing, Molly held the paper to her chest and gushed, "My Ainsley's still got such a way with words!"

Jack and Ashi sighed in relief, eager to move onto the next phase of Scotsman's plan.

"BUT HE'S STILL A SPINELESS JESSIE FER NOT BRINGIN' IT T' ME HIMSELF!" Molly barked, crumpling the piece of paper and tossing it aside. "THAT'S WHY HE'S NOT GONNA HEAR FROM ME UNTIL HE FINALLY FINDS HIS BAW UNDERNEATH THAT GUT'A HIS AND ASSERTS HIMSELF LIKE A _REAL_ MAN!" she crossed her arms adamantly.

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose with an exacerbated exhale, and started to persuade her to reconsider her treatment of her husband, "Molly, while I respect your view on this matter, I really think you should—"

"Oh, get over yourself!" Ashi's outburst abruptly cut off Jack's argument, and seeing how heated she was already, he decided to back off and let her have a go at the hard-headed woman. "I cannot _believe_ you two have been married for this long and still haven't figured out how to sort out your personal grievances! It's one thing to expect something of someone, but to passive-aggressively kick someone out because they didn't pick up on you _hinting_ at it!? What is this, high school!? You need to _communicate_ with him how you feel, so he actually has the _chance_ to try and change for you like a 'real man'! It's not guesswork, just fucking _talk_ to each other!" she exclaimed, slamming her hands down on the table.

Molly's shocked expression quickly changed into a stern glare, as she rose up from the table and slowly moved towards Ashi, who started to slink back into her seat in regret. The imposing woman stood over her for a moment, then pointed a finger at her, "Yer alright…"

Both Ashi and Jack breathed another sigh of relief, and the former could see Flora (who had been eavesdropping) flash her an impressed thumbs up from the hallway.

"So, what else does my dopey husband have up his sleeve?" Molly asked impatiently.

/

Almost eight o' clock now, Jack and Scotsman were waiting nervously (the latter moreso) for their dates to arrive at "That Fancy French Place."

After Jack and Ashi explained the rest of Scotsman's plan to Molly, she requested that Jack head home to meet with Scotsman and set up the reservations, while Ashi reluctantly stayed behind to help her get ready, providing an outlet for "girl talk".

While that went on, Scotsman scrambled to put together a fancy outfit for the dinner. He hadn't packed anything dressy when he got kicked out, and was kicking himself for not asking Jack to bring him something from his wardrobe at home. So, instead, Scotsman borrowed one of Jack's dress shirts, which was more than a little tight on him. The buttons looked like they could pop off any moment.

Scotsman sat there twiddling his thumbs nervously, looking back and forth for the women, while Jack was propping himself up on the table and fighting to stay awake. "Jack, I-I don't know about this… What am I gonna say!?" Scotsman finally blurted out.

"It's going to be fine. Molly is your _wife_ , Scotsman. Just be true to yourself, and remind her why she married you in the first place," Jack comforted weakly.

"I don't think I remember that!"

Suddenly, Molly was heard, and they turned to see her rampaging into the restaurant with Ashi lazily in toe.

"… DAMN NEAR SCRAPED AGAINST THE SIDE'A THE BLOODY DUMPSTER; WORST PARKING LOT I'VE EVER WITNESSED! I'D MUCH RATHER PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF'A SHEEP HERD BEFORE TRYNA T' FIND A SPOT IN THAT LABRYINTH AGAIN! NO WONDER THERE'S NO VALET, YOU'D NEED AT LEAST A YEAR'S WORTH'A TRAININ' TO LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE IT!"

Jack looked towards the raging woman as she approached their table with a strained expression, but seeing Ashi following loosely behind her quickly dispelled any apprehension. She wore a billowy, dark green dress that hung below her shoulders, and cut off just above her knees. Customers at the tables she passed by braced for impact, expecting the large form to knock into their tables. Turning to Scotsman, Jack could see that he was gawking, starry-eyed at his beloved wife, and facepalmed to himself.

Scotsman stood up as she reached their table, "Hello, Muffin!" he sighed dreamily.

"DON'T YOU 'MUFFIN' ME! I AIN'T EVEN HEARD'A TRACE'A YOU SINCE LAST WEEK, THEN YER HAIRY FRIEND WHO LOOKS LIKED HE'S BEEN STRANDED ON A DESERTED ISLAND FER A YEAR SHOWS UP WITH SOME TWIGGY YOGA INSTRUCTOR, HANDIN' SOME SAPPY DRIVEL THAT COULD GAG A YAK! Molly fiercely berated her cowering husband.

Watching the struggle with morbid fascination, Jack's focus was broken when Ashi snuck up behind him, planting a quick kiss on his cheek before crossing to sit opposite him with a smile. He smiled back at her, "I like the dress, but where did you get it?"

Ashi leaned back to look down at the gown, "One of Flora's _hand-me-downs_ , believe it or not. Apparently, we were the same size when she was in middle school," she remarked, and they both laughed.

Their attention was drawn back to the other couple when Molly screeched, "SO, ARE YA GONNA PULL MY CHAIR OUT FER ME OR ARE YA JUST GONNA KEEP STANDIN' THERE LIKE A BLOATED DOORMAT!?"

"I'm so sorry, dumplin'!" Scotsman apologized, scrambling to rectify his transgression, while Jack and Ashi looked at each other in frustration. They finally got Scotsman and Molly in the same room again, but it was clear that this lovers' spat wasn't ready to fizzle out just yet.

The night continued on like this: Molly harped on loudly about everything in the general vicinty that bothered her, and Scotsman would try to console her with loving words and gentle gestures, which only made her even more heated. This vicious cycle lasted all the way through the appetizers and the entrees, and the entire restaurant was on its last nerve.

The disgruntled waiters quickly cleared the table of dirty dishware, and the maître d himself came over to address them. "Would anyone care for a dessert this evening?" he begrudgingly asked out of obligation, silently hoping they would ask for the check.

Molly turned to him sharply, "SLOW DOWN THERE, PIERRE! WE JUST FINISHED EATIN', CAN'T WE GET A BREATHER BEFORE YA START SHOVIN' MORE FOOD DOWN OUR THROATS!? WE'LL CALL YA IF WE NEED YA!" she yelled.

"…Very good, madam," the maître d relied through gritted teeth, and wandered away very stiffly.

During this exchange, Ashi had been typing away on her phone under the table. Once she was done, it took a couple seconds for Jack's phone to beep, and he glanced at it to see a text from Ashi. " _I'm gonna distract Molly, you have to talk some sense into Scotsman while we're gone, or he's going to be coming home with US again!"_ it read, with an angry red smiley accompanying it.

"Hey, Molly," Ashi exclaimed, suddenly jumping from her seat, "I'm going to freshen up in the restroom quick, would you like to join me?" she asked with a big smile.

Molly raised her eyebrow, then reluctantly followed suit. "WHY NOT? AFTER ALL, THE SHIT'S MUCH DEEPER OUT HERE THAN IT'LL BE IN ANY CRAPPER!" she spat.

"Lovely," Ashi muttered as they headed for the women's restroom.

Jack watched intently as they passed through the swinging door, then immediately turned to his friend, "Scotsman, this isn't working! You need a new approach."

Scotsman clutched his head, "I don't know what to do, Laddie! She's never stonewalled me this hard before! She keeps pushin' me away; my schmoozing ain't working its usual charm…" he despaired.

"Then it's time to stop 'schmoozing', and start pushing back! She doesn't want you to woo her, she wants you to take charge, assert yourself!" Jack ordered, no longer meandering around the point.

"But she's my darlin' honeybun…" Scotsman gushed briefly, "I couldn't raise a finger against her, let alone talk back!"

Jack grabbed his friend's shoulder and turned him to look him in the eyes, "You don't have a choice if you want to win her back. You _need_ to stand up for yourself. Think of it this way: would you let anyone else in the whole world speak to you that way without giving them a piece of your mind?"

"No…?" Scotsman replied meekly.

"Exactly! Look, I'm not saying you have to craft another one of your long-winded insults for her; but she's never going to listen to your side of things if you don't put some power behind it," Jack explained. "It's like I told you: just be yourself! The loud, bull-headed, foul-mouthed Scotsman she fell in love with!"

Scotsman stared at Jack for a moment, and then his eyes widened in realization. A spark within him that had dimmed over the years began to catch again, and he remembered the countless times in his years of marriage that his manly assertiveness won his wife's affection. Brows furrowed and fists clenched, Scotsman stood up confidently, "Yer right, Laddie…"

It was then that the women had returned from the restroom. Ashi looking a tad wearier than she did going in, and Molly seemed to take notice of Scotsman's change in demeanor. "WELL, THE BIG MAN'S STANDIN' UP STRAIGHT FER ONCE. IS IT YER TURN TO VISIT THE LOO!?" she barked in his face.

Scotsman stood his ground. "Molly, I gotta talk t' you," he said adamantly.

"WHAT, DID YA WRITE UP A HAIKU WHILE I WAS AWAY?" she scoffed, "YER TALKIN' T'ME RIGHT NOW YA BABBLIN' BABOON! I'M SURPRISED YA DIDN'T RAISE YER HAND LIKE SOME PASTE-EATIN' FIRST GRADER ASKIN' WHAT FOUR PLUS FOUR IS! MAYBE YE SHOULD ENROLL IN OBEDIANCE SCHOOL SO YA CAN FINALLY LEARN TO SIT AND STAY LIKE THE DOG YA ARE!"

Molly's seemingly endless barrage of insults began to wear on his nerves. After enduring them for years, Scotsman had finally had enough. "SHUT YER YAP, WOMAN, AND LISTEN!" he snapped.

The entire restaurant froze; patrons' mouths hung open as they stopped mid bite; waiters failed to notice water overflowing as they poured. Molly stared at him aghast, but there was not a hint of anger on her face.

"SO WHAT IF I BEEN SPENDIN' A LITTLE TOO MUCH TIME AT WORK? THAT DON'T MEAN I APPRECIATE BEIN' BROWBEATEN FOR DOIN' MY DUTY AS THE HEAD' A THE FAMILY! YA DON'T EVEN STOP T' LISTEN 'FORE YA TEAR INTO ME! FLORA'S GOIN' OFF TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL, AND WE NEED TO START SAVIN' UP FER HER STUDENT LOANS. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME _YOU_ GOT A PAYCHECK, HUH!? PLUS, MY JOB IS VERY IMPORTANT; DAY AND NIGHT, I'M MAKIN' SURE THE CITY STAYS SAFE FER MY FAMILY! WHY YA THINK I BEEN ASKIN' THESE TWO FER THEIR HELP SO MUCH!?" he aggressively gestured to Jack and Ashi, who innocently waved back. "I KNOW SOMETHIN'S GOING ON IN THIS CITY, AND I WANT T'MAKE SURE I'M PREPARED FER WHEN IT ALL GOES DOWN, BECAUSE I LOVE THE TWO'A YOU MORE THAN ANYTHIN' IN THE WORLD, AND I'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES T' PROTECT YA! AND IF YA DON'T LIKE IT, YA CAN SHOVE IT!" Scotsman roared.

A hush fell over the room once Scotsman finished his tirade, not breaking eye contact with his stupefied wife. Molly stared at him for a moment, then suddenly her expression turned to one of sheer adoration, and she pulled him into a back-breaking embrace. "OHHH, THERE'S MY BIG, STRONG MAN! YA DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I BEEN WAITIN' FER THAT!" she gushed

Mass confusion started to set in, everyone except Jack and Ashi left scratching their heads at why someone would respond so positively to being berated like that.

"I'M SORRY FER BOOTIN' YA OUT, AINSLEY. I DON'T CARE ABOUT YA ALWAYS BEIN' AWAY AT WORK, I JUST WANTED TO SEE YA ACT LIKE A MAN AGAIN. AIN'T NOBODY EVER REIGNED ME IN LIKE YOU DO, MY BIG OLE' HAIRY BEARY, YOU!" she gushed, shaking him violently like a stuffed toy.

Getting over his initial dizziness, Scotsman reciprocated the hug with a lovestruck expression, "AWW, MY LOVE MUFFIN, I MISSED YOU SO MUCH… C'MERE, YOU!" he demanded, pulling her head down to nuzzle her neck.

She responded with a hideous giggle, which he only found more endearing, "WHY, AINSLEY, YER SO FRISKY!" The two of them slunk back into an available chair, still entwined, as the harmless contact quickly devolved into ravenous kissing, completely ignorant to their surroundings. The other occupants of the restaurant, Jack and Ashi now included, were taken by a wave of disgust at the increasingly gratuitous display of affection.

Jack managed to turn away from the gut-wrenching scene to catch Ashi signaling him from across the table, mouthing " _I think it's time to leave._ "

He nodded in agreement, then abruptly rose from his seat. "Well, this has been fun, but I believe it's time for us to get going!" he explained hastily, crossing over to pull out Ashi's chair for her.

Scotsman and his wife suddenly broke from each other and turned to them. "What, already!? We haven't even had dessert yet!" Scotsman exclaimed.

"No, Jack's right," Ashi waved dismissively, standing up, "We'd better start heading back; early class tomorrow and all that, you know?" she pulled some cash from her wallet and tossed it on the table. "But thank you both for a lovely evening!" she bowed slightly, and Jack nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"Of course, dearies! And thank _you,_ fer helpin' me and Ainsley reconcile!" Molly smiled graciously.

Scotsman nodded, "Aye, the two'a you have been a real big help t' me this last week! Thanks fer everything!"

They smiled sheepishly, anxious to be on their way. "Anything for a friend," Jack replied.

"See ya!" Ashi shouted quickly, turning to leave and pulling Jack along with her, who was quick to catch up on his own.

After they were gone, Molly looked at Scotsman curiously, "They sure seemed in a big hurry to skedaddle, didn't they?"

"Aye, can't say I blame them. Probably excited to finally have some real privacy; betcha they're goin' at it like dogs soon as they walk in the door!" Scotsman remarked with a hearty laugh.

Molly giggled coyly at the joke, "Oh, you…" and they resumed sloppily making out.

It wasn't long before the maître d approached them again. "Excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from this behavior. You're disturbing the other customers," he said sternly, not realizing what a huge mistake he had made.

"WELL, EXCUUUUSE ME!" Scotsman replied sarcastically, "I DIDN'T REALIZE WE WERE BREAKIN' THE LAW BY SHOWIN' EACH OTHER A LITTLE AFFECTION. I BEEN A COP FER ALMOST OVER A DECADE, BUT APPARENTLY THAT LITTLE ADDENDUM MUST'A SLIPPED MY BRAIN!"

Molly then jumped on him as well, "AND WHO ARE _YOU_ T' SPEAK ON ALL'A _THEIR_ BEHALF!? IF SOMEONE'S GOT'A PROBLEM WITH US, THEY CAN ADDRESS IT THEMSELVES!" she roared, gazing threateningly around the room. Naturally, no one spoke up.

"I THOUGHT YA FRENCH FOLKS WERE ALL ABOUT ROMANCE; WHAT'S THE MATTER, YER OVERPRICED RESTAURANT CAN'T AFFORD A LITTLE AUTHENTICITY!?" Scotsman bellowed.

The belittled employee dropped his professional façade, "I'm not even French, this is just a job!"

"OH, SO YER A _LIAR_ THEN, EH!?" Molly interjected, "HOW IRONIC; THEY ALWAYS SAY YA SHOULDN'T TRUST A FRENCHMAN, BUT APPARENTLY IT'S THE FAKE ONES THAT YA GOTTA WATCH OUT FER!"

Scotsman pointed an incriminating finger at the poor young man, "YER NOTHIN' BUT A BIG, FAT PHONY, YA SNAIL SLURPIN', WINE SIPPIN'—!"

Molly piggybacked off his last insult, "FROG KILLIN, CHEESE WHEELIN'—!"

"WAGE SLAVIN'!"

"BOW TIE WEARIN'!"

"MOUSTACHE TWIRLIN'!"

"MOMENT KILLIN'!"

/

As soon as Jack and Ashi got home, they both went right into the bedroom, kicked their shoes off and plopped right on their bed. By the time Wolf curled up at the foot, they were both out cold.

—END CHAPTER 19—


	21. Jack and Ashi vs the Sasquatch

—CHAPTER 20—

Bird sounds.

A faint light, slowly becoming clearer.

Jack could now make out the fabric of the pillow he was lying on. Gently, he lifted his head and rose from the sheets, letting out a contented yawn. Rarely had he woken up feeling so well rested.

Just then, Jack realized just how wrong this was. Normally, he was abruptly awoken by his alarm clock, set for seven in the morning, six days a week. Today as Wednesday, wasn't it? And yet that clock read quarter to ten, but he hadn't heard a peep from it. Was it broken? It worked fine yesterday.

Suddenly, a more important realization caught Jack's attention: Where is Ashi? It appeared that she had gotten up earlier and let him sleep in. He wondered why she would do that. Did she tell him something before he went to bed that he forgot? No sign of Wolf either. The dog was always found wound tight at the foot of the bed between them, and remained there long after he and Ashi got out of bed. Him being gone was unusual as well, and finally pushed Jack to climb out of bed and investigate.

The apartment was quiet and still. Scanning the area, Jack stepped carefully out into the hall, and into the open area of the apartment. The living room, kitchen, dining room, all empty. The front door was still locked up from the night before, impossible to do from the other side, so nobody had left the apartment. That defused the initial concern. Now confident that Ashi and Wolf would show themselves soon, Jack remembered he was only wearing his boxer shorts, and decided to start getting ready for the day in the meantime.

Jack walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, bending down to rinse his face with cold water. He leaned back up and spotted himself in the mirror, and began to ponder his appearance as he wiped the excess moisture from his beard. Maybe it was time for a shave?

Reflecting on his reflection, Jack failed to notice the bathroom door slowly being pushed closed by a shadowy figure that had been lurking in the corner. The sound of the running water covered her footsteps as she snuck up behind him, ready to pounce. Jack only saw the looming danger for a split second in the mirror; by the time he turned around, it was already too late.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Ashi shouted joyfully, leaping onto Jack and wrapping herself around his back. She startled him even further with a loving kiss on the lips, which he reciprocated until she broke off and dismounted his torso. Wolf had been in the bathtub, lying down at Ashi's behest. Once Ashi popped out, the dog stood in the bathtub with its tongue out, wagging its tail excitedly.

"Ashi! You remembered," Jack gushed as he moved in for another kiss, only to place his lips on the tip of her index finger.

"Not until you brush your teeth," she ordered with a sly grin, "First one was a freebie."

With his own smirk, Jack turned back around to the sink and pulled his toothbrush out of the holder. Wolf had climbed out of the bathtub and ended up on Jack's left, now vying for his attention.

Ashi leaned against the countertop to his right, "Of course I remembered, you don't have to sound so surprised!" she playfully scolded.

Jack laughed, laying the toothpaste on his brush, "Well, to be honest, _I_ had forgotten it was my birthday until just now," he remarked as he started brushing with his right hand, and petting Wolf with his left.

"What? How do you forget your own birthday?" Ashi asked incredulously, "I thought you turned twenty-eight, not _seventy_ -eight."

Jack shrugged with the toothbrush hanging out of his mouth, before removing it to spit in the sink. "I just never cared much for celebrating my own birthday, is all. Even as a child, it was just another important day I wasn't able to spend with my parents, presents or not. And sure, they got better when I came here, but _last_ year was… well, there was nothing to celebrate," he mused, resuming brushing. His left hand fell back to his side, and Wolf started licking it affectionately.

"Yeah…" Ashi trailed off somberly, looking down, thinking of when Jack was at his lowest point. However, she bounced back almost immediately. "But, hey…!" Ashi exclaimed hopefully, "Last year was then, and _this_ year is now; you've been through so much since then, and you deserve to enjoy your birthday. So, _I_ took the liberty of cancelling classes for today, so that _we_ could celebrate it properly!" she touted, standing next to him proudly with her hands on her hips.

"Hmmm," Jack hummed in contemplation while brushing. After spitting, he spoke, "'Properly', you say?" He placed the toothbrush back in the holder and turned to her as he exited the bathroom, "And what is the proper way to celebrate my birthday?" he asked coyly.

Ashi explained as she stepped into the hallway to let Jack into the bedroom first, "That's up to you. It is _your_ birthday, so we can do whatever _you_ want!" Wolf attempted to follow them into the room, but Ashi silently directed him to stay outside the room, and closed the door. The dog bowed its head with a huff, and trotted over to the living room couch.

"Whatever I want…?" Jack thought aloud, sitting at the edge of the bed to hear more.

Facing the closed door, Ashi turned her head to cast a seductive side glance at Jack. "Yep, _whatever_ you want…" she cooed, spinning around to properly display her attire: the green lingerie he got her for Christmas. With a sultry gaze, Ashi slowly sauntered over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck gently. Her voice was soft, her face only inches from his, " _Nothing_ is off the table, Jack, so whatever it is, just name it…"

Jack stared wide-eyed at her for a moment, seemingly enraptured by the endless possibilities, before finally blurting out, "I want to climb a mountain."

Ashi's seductive gaze turned into a blank stare, "…What?" She moved away to look at him in confusion.

"Ever since I moved here, I've wanted to hike up one of the mountains outside of the city, but I was always so busy that I never made the time for it; but now, I finally have the opportunity!" he explained excitedly, oblivious to the mood Ashi was trying to set.

"Oh…kaaaay…?" she affirmed with a puzzled expression, still surprised at his response. "So, where is this mountain you want to climb?" she asked.

"Faust Mountain. It's less than an hour outside the city, and it's not too big of a climb," said Jack, "We could easily reach the top before sunset and be back in town for dinner!"

Ashi nodded slowly, "Huh… alright. You know what? Yeah! That sounds like fun!" she cheered, hyping herself up, "I haven't been on a hike in forever, let's do it!"

Jack smiled brightly at her enthusiasm, "Great! Let's get dressed so we can head out as soon as—" he started to get up, but Ashi immediately pushed him backwards onto the bed.

"Hold on there, birthday boy," she ordered, propping herself up over him on the bed, "I didn't put this on for nothing. We're not going anywhere until I give you your first gift," Ashi began to crawl over him onto the bed slowly and promiscuously, making her way slowly to his face. Once she arrived, she whispered in his ear seductively, "So be a good boy, and put on your birthday suit~…"

Blushing profusely, Jack's only response was a mystified, "O-Oh my…"

/

After a hearty birthday breakfast at Brewshido, Jack and Ashi headed past the city limits towards Faust Mountain. The trip was, as Jack said, around forty-five minutes or so, prompting Ashi to realize how often she had seen this very mountain over the horizon from the city.

They passed through the front booth into the open area at the foot of the mountain, where dozens of families were enjoying the nice weather in the public park. Once Jack's bike was secured, the couple made their way through the field towards the mountain trail, each carrying a light backpack of supplies. Jack's had a bag lunch for each of them, and a first aid kit—just in case. Ashi's bag was full of outdoor and climbing equipment, though Jack insisted that they wouldn't really need them.

Halfway across the field, Jack's cell phone rang, stopping him in his tracks. It was Scotsman, so he habitually held the phone away as he picked up, and his friend's voice came booming through, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LADDIE!"

"Thank you, friend!" Jack replied with a smile.

"Sorry I didn't call sooner, I've been runnin' around with the doctor all mornin'," Scotsman explained, referring to the genius, Exdor. "One'a his inventions apparently got stolen, and I've been tryin' to track it down; guess the egghead should'a invented a lock fer it, eh!? AHHHAHAHAHAA" he joked raucously. "So, how are ya spendin' yer birthday this year? Ashi givin' ya a little workout, maybe?" he teased.

Jack rolled his eyes with a blush, "Not at the moment, no. Actually, we're at Faust Mountain National Park right now. We're going to hike up the mountain."

"Oh, really? It's about time!" Scotsman replied encouragingly, "I still remember when we were partners, ya always used to ask me to go hikin' with ya. Glad you finally found someone t' drag along instead!"

Chuckling at the memory, Jack explained, "Well, I figured it would be a good way for Ashi and I to challenge ourselves in preparation for the competition coming up."

"Aye, the Dome is next month already, ain't it? Ahh, I wouldn't worry. Ya got more than enough mettle between the two'a ya to win, hands down!" Scotsman declared confidently.

Jack was about to thank his friend for the vote of confidence, Exdor's nasally voice in the background caught his replied to it, "Alright, alright, just relax! We'll find it!" Scotsman shouted, then went back to talking to Jack, "Listen, I gotta go, but I'll see you and Ashi later tonight. Hopefully this thing'll be sorted out by then. See ya!"

Jack said goodbye to his friend before hanging up, then him and Ashi continued walking towards the mountain.

The trail began in between an opening in the trees lining the park, sided by a rather extravagant visitor center on the left, and a small cluster of odd-looking tents to the right. As Jack and Ashi neared the buildings, someone in the visitor center noticed them from the window, and quickly rushed outside to run over. The lanky man was wearing a park ranger uniform, jogging stiffly as he parked himself right in their path, posturing like an adult boy scout.

"Greetings, hikers! My name is Roger, and I'm the head ranger here at Faust Mountain National Park!" he greeted in a high pitch, nasally voice. "I see you folks are prepared to take on Lauren, is that it?"

"Lauren?" Ashi asked in confusion.

Roger pointed a thumb behind him, "Oh, that's just my pet name for the mountain. She's a humble mistress, but she'll cut you down hard for underestimating her, let me tell you," he shook his head with a tight-lipped smile. "Anywho! Just wanted to let you know that there's two paths you can take up the mountain: there's the normal hiking trail, and the _nature express escalator_!" he declared proudly, delivering a grand gesture towards a wooden staircase snaking it's way up the mountain just up ahead, "If you take the escalator, you get to go on the 'Wilderness Expert Ranger Tour', guided by yours truly! Only a few bucks per person!"

The couple stared at him blankly for a moment, then glanced at each other before Ashi spoke up, "No thank you, we'll just go up the normal way."

"Well, you're more than welcome to do so. Just make sure you watch out for the monster," Roger warned in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Monster…?" said Jack skeptically.

"Not just any monster: A Sasquatch!" Roger specified, "Folks have been going up the trail one minute and scrambling back down the next, hollering about how they were chased down by a big hairy creature. This has been going on for a couple months now, but it's gotten especially bad as of late. That's why we implemented the escalator," he explained somberly, but switched back to his camp counselor enthusiasm almost immediately. "On the bright side, the gift shop's been making a killing with all the new monster themed merchandise we have in stock. Good thing, too; Lauren is… pretty demanding when it comes to money," he admitted.

"The mountain?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

Roger shook his head, "My wife. Also named Lauren. She is very critical of my profession…" he said in dejected tone, and glanced towards the second floor of the visitor center. Jack and Ashi followed his gaze to a window with a curtain pushed aside, which fell back into its hanging position almost immediately when they looked. "But this Sasquatch business is the most exciting thing that's happened here since that wild pony outbreak a few years back! As weird as it sounds, I'm glad that things been terrorizing hikers! Just means I get to run the tour more often!" he giddily remarked.

"Sureee…" Ashi agreed half-heartedly, "Well, we should probably get climbing if we're going to reach the top before dark. Thanks for the info, bye!" she waved, pulling Jack along hurriedly.

"Oh, uh, good luck, you two!" Roger waved excitedly after them, "And be sure to visit the gift shop on the way back!"

With that exchange out of the way, Jack and Ashi quickly reached the forked start of the trail: the normal path to their left, and the "nature express escalator" to their right. Naturally, they went with the former.

The couple didn't get very far before they encountered another distraction: three distinctive monks who wore garbs resembling the tents they passed earlier sat solemnly on the side of the trail. They hadn't seemed to notice the hiker's approach, so they quietly attempted to walk past, only for one of the monks to shout sternly, "WAIT!"

Ashi let out a tired sigh, "Here we go…" she muttered under her breath.

The three monks stood up in unison, lining up in front of the couple's path.

"WE ARE THE MONKS OF THE MOUNTAIN," the first monk bellowed.

"THE MONKS OF THE MOUNTAIN, WE ARE," the second reiterated.

"MOUNTAIN MONKS," stated the last.

Ashi looked at them disinterestedly, "And we're… leaving," she attempted to walk around the wall of monks, but the barricade merely moved with her, prompting a more annoyed sigh from her.

"THE MOUNTAIN IS DISPLEASED," the first monk declared.

"THE BALANCE OF NATURE HAS BEEN DISRUPTED," added the second.

"NOT GOOD," said the last.

Jack, not at all surprised by this development, asked casually, "What do you mean?"

The second monk in the middle removed his hand from his sleeve and uncurled his fist to reveal a crinkled candy wrapper.

"MOTHER NATURE HAS BEEN DEFILED."

"THE BEAST LASHES OUT ON HER BEHALF."

"SHE'S PISSED."

Ashi noticed the monk retract his hand while still holding the wrapper, then glanced back at the garbage can they had just passed, not even ten feet away. With one last big sigh, she looked up at the monks, "Look, we appreciate the warning and all, but we'll take our chances," she declared dismissively.

The monks glanced down at her sternly for a moment before stepping aside in a line like an opened door to let Jack and Ashi pass. As they did so, the monks called out.

"BE ON YOUR GUARD!"

"ENJOY THE HIKE!"

"PLEASE DON'T LITTER!"

/

With all the distractions out of the way, Jack and Ashi finally gained some traction on their hike. They had been climbing for almost an hour now, and were about a quarter of the way up. The only thing surrounding them was lush green and towering trees, illuminated by beams of light breaking through the leafy canopy overhead.

As they followed the trail, Ashi's eyes wandered aimlessly, absorbing their surroundings appreciatively. She took a deep, relaxing breath "You know, Jack, this was a great idea. I didn't realize how much I missed the outdoors—the _real_ outdoors. Kind of makes me wish we wish we didn't live in such a big city, but at least we're never too far from all this," she happily commented.

"I agree," said Jack, only a few feet behind her, "It's nice to finally get away from everything for a bit. Sometimes, the city just seems too crowded, but out here, it's just you and me…" he trailed off when he noticed Ashi had stopped, and was staring at something off to the left of the trail.

"You might've spoke too soon," she said, referring to a small tent stationed near a crowd of large bushes, then turned to Jack, "Are people allowed to camp up here?"

"Not that I'm aware of," he answered, as the pair approached the tiny campsite curiously. They went over to find the tent was opened up with no one inside, but a sleeping bag and other supplies made it clear that someone had been there recently. Still, there didn't seem to be anyone else around.

Ashi peered into the tent curiously, "Weird… hey, maybe the monster scared him away," she joked, and they both chuckled, unaware that the bushes behind them began to shake.

"Oh yes, he must've been quite the litterbug!" Jack remarked, eliciting more laughter, which distracted them from the rustling in the bushes.

"And I bet he ran right into the gift shop to buy a t-shirt!" Ashi added between breaths, their laughing continued as the rustling grew.

A shape began to rise out of the bushes, casting a shadow that loomed ominously over the jokesters. The laughter trailed off as they picked up on the change in lighting. Jack and Ashi turned around slowly, and their eyes looked up as their smiles went down.

Right there, towering over them, was a furry ape man with a bulky, hunched frame. It wore a snarling maw, and had jagged claws adorning a monstrous grip from it's hulking forearms, which raised as the creature unleashed a fierce bellow that seemed to shake the air around them.

"RUN!" Jack screamed without a second thought, and he and Ashi immediately bolted away from the creature, which began charging after them. The trees in their path weren't terribly numerous, but they still had to duck and weave occasionally to avoid branches as they fled, while the creature just plowed through them.

Up ahead, Jack noticed a particularly sturdy branch. Gathering his strength, he pulled ahead of Ashi and right into the branch, bending it back tightly. He shouted, "DUCK!" just before letting it slip, and Ashi slid below the slingshot branch which nailed the sasquatch square in the torso, staggering it.

Once it got its bearings, the monster was right back after them, and the chase turned into an uphill battle as Jack and Ashi fled towards an incline. The terrain remained stable at first, but eventually Ashi slipped on a patch of loose gravel.

"Ashi!" Jack stopped and turned back to see the monster approaching his fallen girlfriend with an outstretched hand.

Thinking quickly, Ashi steadied her arms on the ground and began dragging her feet along the gravel like a bicycle in place, kicking waves of rocks and dirt right in the sasquatch's face. The monster used its arms to block the debris, but backed up just enough to lose balance and tumble backwards down the hill.

By the time the creature picked itself up, Jack and Ashi had already gone beyond the top of the slope, and the creature let out a roar in anger. It lowered itself into a deep squat, and stayed there for a few seconds, before launching itself high enough to match the trees, landing over the incline with a violent thud. Shaking off the impact, the sasquatch lumbered ahead vigorously, checking every direction for the elusive hikers as it disappeared deeper into the forest.

The air was silent for several moments before Jack and Ashi finally climbed down from the trees they were hiding in, confident that the coast was clear.

"Okay, maybe this wasn't the best idea," Jack remarked, brushing himself off, "It's not that late yet; if we head back down now, we'd still have plenty of time for another activity."

Ashi shook her head as she knelt down and started rummaging through her knapsack. "And let some urban myth ruin your birthday? No way. You wanted to go for a hike, and here we are. We're going to finish this thing, monster or not," she asserted with a positive demeanor.

Jack looked down at her, "Ashi, there's nothing 'mythical' about this creature; we _saw_ it with our own eyes! If we go any further, we are willingly putting ourselves in danger," he argued.

"Wouldn't be the first time," she shrugged, taking an emergency flare from her bag and slipping it into her back pocket. "Besides, now that we actually know what we're up against, I think we could take it," Ashi remarked as she pulled a matchstick from a small book and tucked it behind her ear.

"Ashi, we're dealing with a half-ton ape man that can clear the treetops in a single leap! We've never faced anything like this before!" Jack argued worriedly as he was handed a sheathed hunting knife.

"True, but now we have some time to prepare ourselves. Next time that thing shows its ugly mug, we'll be ready for it," she declared confidently, clutching a length of taught rope in her fist.

"I don't suppose my birthday privileges will change your mind?" Jack asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Nope!" Ashi smiled cheerfully, draping the length of rope over her head and firmly wrapping it around herself. "Of course, you're free to assert that authority if you _really_ don't want to keep going, but I reserve the right to call you a coward and a quitter if you do. Your call," she teased.

Jack sighed, hooking the knife to his left hip, "Right… well, let's be on our way," and started back towards the trail with Ashi eagerly following at his side.

/

Inside the usual diner, Scotsman and ExTor sat in one of its back booths. Fed up over their lack of progress, Scotsman put their investigation on hold for a lunch break. The officer was sloppily tearing into a plate of chicken wings, while the witness sat anxiously across from him, tapping his fingers against the table.

After cleaning off another bone, Scotsman glanced over to see that ExTor's plate had barely been touched. "Hey, start eatin' already! I ain't coverin' ya fer nothin'!" he complained.

ExTor sputtered in disbelief, "How can you gorge yourself like that when we have a potential crisis on our hands!?"

"Listen, buddy: No man does a good job on an empty stomach! Missin' my lunch hour would be a major hinderance to our investigation!" Scotsman asserted, then shot an incriminating glare at ExTor while he bit into another wing, "Not that we were havin' any luck in the first place!"

ExTor adjusted his spectacles defensively, "Well, as I told you before, this model was merely a prototype. Fully functional, mind you, but the thing had been sitting in the lab for months before I even touched it again. It was completely unprecedented that someone would manage to infiltrate the lab and take it!"

Wiping his face with a napkin, Scotsman scoffed, " _You_ tell _me_ , smart guy! Far as I know, we're the only two people who even know it exists! This whole thing is a wild goose chase! We've got no suspects, no evidence, no leads; I got nothin' t' work with here!" he complained, biting into another wing.

Rubbing his temples, ExTor bowed his head down towards the plate in front of him. "Ohhh, this is not good. Just imagine what someone could do once they find out what it's capable of! Th-They could be wreaking havoc halfway across town by now!" he exclaimed nervously, then clutched his cheeks in horrific realization, "What if AKu has it? By god, his scientists have probably reverse-engineered it by now…they could be mass-producing them as we speak; we wouldn't stand a chance against that! An _army_ of—"

"WOULD YA RELAX!?" Scotsman interrupted ExTor's panicked train of thought, "If someone was gonna go on a crime spree with it, we'd already be hearin' about it!" he pointed out, gesturing to the radio strapped to his shirt. "And as fer that other concern, just don't. Ye can't spend all yer time worryin' about what that crook is up to, it'll just drive ya mad! Take it from someone who's seen it happen before." He paused to wash down his meal with a drink, then continued, "What we need is a better way t' look around the city. We've scoured every inch'a it on foot, but a view from the air could be the breakthrough we need! I don't suppose you got some sort'a flyin' contraption we could use fer that?" he inquired.

"Well, yes, but there's a very slim chance that we—" ExTor's reply was cut short by a vital remembrance, "EUREKA! Why didn't I think of it sooner!?" he adjusted his googles excitedly, getting up from the booth, "To the lab!" he exclaimed excitedly, pointing himself forward as he ran out of the restaurant.

Scotsman called after him, pointing at the dish he had left behind, "HEY, HOLD ON! YER WRAPPIN' THAT UP AND TAKIN' IT WITH YA!"

/

The sun was still high in the sky as Jack and Ashi stopped to eat their lunches, in a small clearing just off the trail. Up ahead, the trail appeared became a narrow pathway along a dangerously steep cliff, as they came ever closer to the mountain's peak. Both of them ate their sandwiches slowly and anxiously, anticipating their next encounter with the fierce sasquatch.

Jack was taking small bites as he surveyed the surrounding area vigilantly for any signs of movement. His head would snap in the direction of even the smallest sound, which always ended up being a chipmunk scurrying, or a falling leaf.

Meanwhile, Ashi was trying to multitask, using a nearby rock to sharpen the ends of long sticks between bites. Eager to dust off her Imakandi hunting skills, she had already amassed several makeshift spears in preparation.

"So," Jack finally spoke up, "What exactly do we hope to accomplish here?"

Ashi didn't look up from her work, "What do you mean?"

"Say we manage to win against this creature; what then? Do we skin it and bring the coat back as a trophy? Are we going to mount it's head in our living room?" he asked with a hint of condescension.

"Oh, I see," Ashi scoffed with a smirk, "You think this is a pride thing. Okay, yeah, maybe it is; but this thing has been terrorizing everyone who comes up here. It may not be our responsibility, but if we can at least scare it away, maybe we can make the mountain a little safer for everyone else," she asserted, clutching the spear with a serious gaze.

Jack smiled, knowing well enough that her noble intentions were sincere, and she returned it. The moment was cut short, however, when a distinctive shuffling was heard off in the trees. The two suddenly stood up at full attention, each grasping one of the sharpened sticks readily.

They stood back to back, steady and still as the sound became clearer and closer. The echo made it impossible to ascertain which direction it was coming from, but it was coming fast, and they gripped their weapons tightly.

Suddenly, the woods went silent. Only the sound of a few falling leaves could be heard. A moment that seemed to last an eternity.

Then, just as suddenly, the beast came barreling towards them from the trees, bellowing a tremendous war cry of a roar. The duo reacted by powerfully hurling their spears at the creature, which were effortlessly swatted aside.

Jack and Ashi each picked up another spear and ran at the monster themselves. The creature reared back as they approached, bringing its hammer-like fists down hard to crush them, but the couple split up to dodge and surrounded it on both sides. Thrusting their spears at the monster's wide-open ribs, they were stunned to find the sticks bent and broken, unable to pierce the furry hide.

Their pause gave the sasquatch enough time to react, turning towards Ashi to retaliate by swiping at her with its claws, but she gracefully dodged each attack. Jack was compelled to intervene, and leapt onto the creature's back. He tried to draw the hunting knife, but he creature's violent jostling forced him to keep a tight grip. Ashi utilized the distraction to attack, latching onto the monster's front and wailing on its face with her bare fists. This seemed to have an affect on the creature, which couldn't seem to focus as it struggled to dislodge the assailants.

Jack finally managed to reach the knife, and went for a powerful stab into the monster's back. Once again, the knife simply bounced off the surface with a distinctive metallic clank, and he looked at the knife in pure bewilderment.

Finally, the creature managed to get them off, grabbing Ashi firmly around the waist whilst throwing Jack over it's head. He shook it off just in time to see the giant ape lift its massive foot, about to deliver a bone-crushing stomp.

Fortunately, however, Ashi's arms were still free, so she pulled out the matchstick and safety flare she'd been concealing, lit them both respectively, and aimed it point-blank at the creature's face. The monster let out a strangely human cry, dropping her in alarm as its facial fur caught fire. It knelt down and began frantically rubbing its face along the dirt to extinguish the flames.

Ashi went over to check on Jack, who looked up at her in frustration, "This isn't working!"

"Yeah, _maybe_ this was a bad idea," she admitted, helping him to his feet, "Let's go!" and the two fled towards the trail.

The creature was able to put out the fire, and saw them trying to escape again, so it hefted up a nearby boulder and hurled the stone in their direction.

Ashi noticed the rock coming at them, and shouted, "Look out!" tackling Jack out of the way as it landed right in their path on the narrow ridge. With the boulder blocking the way forward, and the sasquatch blocking the way back, the only way out was down.

With Ashi already lying on top of him, Jack wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Tuck in your head!" he ordered, and rolled them both off the steep incline before the beast could catch them. The creature watched them disappear into the brush, bellowed a victorious roar, then lumbered back into the trees.

The pair tumbled for what felt like an eternity, being buffeted by the hard ground over and over again, before finally hitting the bottom of the hill, which ended at a sharp angle that split them apart. Jack stopped sooner than Ashi, who kept rolling and got her foot got caught on a large root sticking out of the ground, causing her to yelp in pain.

Covered in scrapes and dirt, Jack quickly pushed himself up and went over to tend to her, "Ashi! Are you alright?"

Ashi winced, sitting up to clutch her leg. "Yeah… I think I turned my ankle…" she said, lightly rubbing the appendage.

Kneeling beside her, Jack reached down and lifted her leg, gently applying pressure as he moved down her calf slowly towards her foot. He asked her, "Does this hurt?"

Once he hit the ankle, she hissed, "Right there… stings a bit."

Jack lowered the leg tenderly, "Just a minor sprain, but you should stay off it for now."

"But we can't just sit here, that thing is still out there," Ashi reminded worriedly, "Go find some help, I'll wait here in hiding until you get back."

Jack looked at her defiantly, "I'm not leaving you behind, there must be another way," he urged. If he still had his first aid kit, they could've at least wrapped the ankle to get her by, but they were forced to ditch their supplies when they fled from the sasquatch.

"What other choice do we have? Do you intend to carry me the rest of the way?" Ashi remarked sarcastically.

However, Jack started to considered the notion. He noticed that Ashi still had a considerable length of sturdy rope wrapped around her torso. Luckily, it wasn't wasted trying to subdue the creature, which likely would've freed itself effortlessly from the binding.

Ashi noticed Jack's thoughtful expression, "What?"

/

"Jack, this is humiliating…"

"Oh, come on, Ashi, no one else is even around. I was just being resourceful. Besides…"

The couple continued their way up the mountain, trying to get back to the trail, but only one of them was walking. Jack had fashioned a makeshift harness for Ashi with straps that allowed him to carry her on his back. Ashi was currently pouting in disapproval, crossing her arms as she held her legs up.

"I think a little humility would serve you well," Jack remarked with an amused grin.

Ashi turned her head slightly to address him, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Very much so."

"Ass…"

/

The bright glow of a large monitor was the only light in the dimly-lit, expansive space. There, Scotsman and ExTor sat attentively, at a pair of crosshairs skimming over a detailed map of the city and surrounding areas.

"I had installed a GPS tracking device on the machine very early in its development, and I completely forgot about it until now. We can use the satellite uplink to locate the pilfered device wherever it may be," ExTor explained, typing away on the keyboard in front of him, "Let's just hope our culprit hasn't travelled too far."

Scotsman had a sudden realization with this new info, and his surprised expression fell into a scowl aimed at the engineer seated next to him. "So, what yer tellin' me is that we spent the entire blasted day traipsin' around town fer yer fancy doo-hicky, when all ya had t' do was just hit a couple buttons on yer computer to find it in _minutes_?"

ExTor, looked away from the screen to see Scotsman's seething glare, "Well, t-technically…uh, I-I mean…to be, uh, precise…." he stammered nervously, then pointed out what was happening on the screen, "H-Hey, look! We finally picked up the machine's signal!"

The crosshair slowly zoomed in on the triangulated location, and Scotsman squinted as he began to recognize where it was. "Wait a second, that's…"

/

The sun no longer at its apex in the sky, and was slowly descending towards the mountain range on the horizon. Still, Jack and Ashi still had plenty of daylight left for the rest of their ascent.

Their "tactical retreat" had set them back a little, and they had no idea where the trail was, but they were still keeping a good pace. All they had to do was go uphill to reach the top of the mountain as planned, then the way back would be revealed.

With Jack doing all the walking, Ashi stared upwards and watched the treetops go by, trying to stave off boredom. She finally spoke up, "So, what now?"

"We're going to trap this 'Sasquatch', then we're going to reach the top of the mountain," Jack stated confidently, still soldiering along.

Ashi turned her head towards him with an expression of disbelief, "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope."

"But how are we supposed to accomplish that? We tried taking that thing head on, and look where it got us!" Ashi exclaimed, using both arms to gesture at their surroundings, "Whatever it is, there's no way we can just catch it," she reminded.

"It must be some kind of machine, you saw the way it repelled our attacks. If that's the case, we need only find a way to shut it down," Jack asserted, then brought his hand to his chin in contemplation, "But how…?"

The conversation paused to give the two a chance to brainstorm. Ashi closed her eyes with a sigh, recognizing they were in no better position for knowing the creature's true nature. Just then, the sound of running water caught her attention, and she glanced to her left to see a small stream snaking its way down the mountain next to them.

"What if we got it wet?" suggested Ashi.

Jack then looked to his right at the stream as well, "That could work, assuming we're able to get the creature where we need it to be." The slope they were ascending was just about to plane off as Jack mulled over the possibility of dousing the sasquatch. However, it was clear that the only water available to them at the moment would not be enough to properly submerge the beast, and he addressed that as they made it onto the level ground, "But even then, we're going to need a lot more…"

The source of the stream was revealed: a surprisingly large pond high up on the mountain; an oasis to any wayward travelers making the hike without supplies. Not only did Jack and Ashi fit that bill, but the body of water would also serve as the perfect spot to finally apprehend the phony sasquatch.

"Water!" Jack finally finished the sentence in elation, and Ashi peeked over his shoulder with a smile of her own.

They decided to take a break from their climb (for Jack's sake), having a drink of and resting by the pond while waiting for the sasquatch to inevitably show up once again. After they formulated their strategy for dealing with the monster, they began to theorize who was really behind it all. AKu, of course, was a prime suspect, but there were other strong possibilities this time as well.

Roger the ranger, for instance, was making a killing off the creature through merchandise AND off giving guided tours up the mountain stairwell. Perhaps his miserly wife pushed him to formulate the scheme? Maybe she herself was behind it all, taking matters into her own hands? Either way, it all seemed a little too convenient for the over-eager park ranger.

Then there were the three odd monks who had made their home at the foot of the mountain, clearly displeased with all the thoughtless hikers polluting the mountain. Their unusual behavior seemed poised to scare off any ne'er-do-wells that might cause trouble in the forest, but those who were not dissuaded by warnings—like Jack and Ashi—needed a more potent deterrent. What better way to drive trespassers away than a product of the very nature they sought to protect?

Either possibility still raised a single question: How did the culprit get their hands on a machine that could pose as a giant ape man so convincingly? Once again, the answer appeared to be AKu's meddling. Only someone of his wealth could afford something like that, and only he would have reason to cause such havoc. Whatever that reason, Jack and Ashi were now determined to put a stop to it.

Their trap was simple, involving a miniature peak at overlooking the pond, with a perch in the form of a dead tree sticking out over the water. Jack sat at the edge of the bridge to nowhere, eyes shut, in a meditative position, while Ashi remained out of sight. In his hand, Jack clenched one end of the rope he had used for Ashi's harness, the other end tied around the tree underneath him.

Not long ago, Jack would have found it impossible to achieve tranquility through meditation, his mind clouded by thoughts of failure and regret. Now that all of that was behind him, he was easily able to clear his mind and enter a calm, blissful state; surrounded by nature, the sounds of birds and running water, and with a light breeze flowing through his hair.

His eyes were shut, but Jack's senses were picking up even the smallest sounds happening around him. The scampering of a squirrel climbing a tree. A bird taking a quiet bath at the edge of the pond. The subtle swish of a falling leaf. A distinctive thud, approaching from beyond the trees.

It's coming.

The sound of the creature's footsteps became the only thing Jack could hear, as the sasquatch sauntered over to the small hill where he was perched. It had found them again, just as they anticipated. But unlike their last encounter, things would turn out differently this time.

Jack remained motionless as the monster made its way up the mound, seemingly unaware of its presence. The creature stepped as quietly as possible with the massive weight behind each foot, eager to take advantage of the defenseless victim. It stepped onto the tree with its huge mitts outstretched, and Jack could hear the wood creaking underneath them as the beast drew closer and closer, growling quietly in preparation of its attack.

Patiently, he waited. The sasquatch reared back, ready to grab him, causing vibrations in the tree with even the smallest movement. A single bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face.

Everything stopped for a moment.

A quiet breeze blew past them.

Silence.

Suddenly, the beast lunged to catch him in a bear hug, but Jack reacted in time by diving off the tree, much to the creature's surprise. It gazed down at the water, expecting a splash, but nothing happened. Instead, Jack had swung himself underneath the tree and landed behind the sasquatch, which did not have enough room on the perch to turn all the way around, and could only turn its upper body halfway. Caught off guard and off balance, the creature was helpless as Jack delivered a leaping kick right into the side of its head, sending it staggering off the tree and right into the water below with a huge splash, disappearing from view.

Jack stared with a stoic gaze at the rippling water for a moment, then bent down to untie the rope from the tree and walked away.

"Nice work, birthday boy!" Ashi praised, hobbling out from the nook underneath a tree where she was hiding, as Jack rushed over to support her.

Their celebration stopped when the sasquatch started to rise up out of the water. The two of them backed away slowly as it emerged from the pond, clambering towards them clumsily. The beast only took a few steps before its movements turned erratic and jerky amidst the sound of sparks and grinding gears, and it finally crumpled into a lifeless pile of fur and limbs.

Looking at each other in slight uncertainty, Jack and Ashi cautiously approached the fallen sasquatch. As they got closer, they could hear a muffled voice muttering in frustration. Jack let go of Ashi and grasped the sasquatch's head with both hands, firmly yanking it off its shoulders.

Underneath the extremely convincing mask was a scrawny, sweaty young man with damp, scruffy orange hair, wearing foggy goggles and a worn-out sasquatch tee shirt from the gift shop. He stared at them blankly through his tinted lenses before cocking an impish grin, accompanied by an awkward laugh, "You got me!"

Jack responded curiously as he moved back to Ashi's side, "It appears so…"

"But who _are_ you?" Ashi asked, latching onto the crook of Jack's arm for support.

"He's my old assistant," a voice called out from behind them. Jack and Ashi turned to see ExTor approaching, and Scotsman sauntering over behind him. ExTor continued, "That thing he's piloting is a robotic exoskeleton designed to artificially enhance one's physical abilities, rendering even the most laborious tasks a mere triviality at best. I had initially created the prototype five months ago, but ended up putting the project on indefinite hiatus in favor of more pressing concerns," he explained, adjusting his thick spectacles.

The assistant noticed his old boss' presence, slipped his arm out of the machine to wave in greeting. "Hey, Mr. Torrence! Handles like a dream!" he commented, patting the sasquatch body with his free hand.

Scotsman stepped forward and pointed at the assistant incriminatingly, "Shut yer gobber, ya mangy delinquent! Yer in a lot of trouble fer makin' me chase ya around all day with _this_ one!" he yelled, pointing a thumb at the diminutive engineer.

"Baxter, how could you do this to me? Breaking into my lab, stealing one of my inventions; I was always a good employer to you, wasn't I?" ExTor implored the thief.

"Aw, it was nothing personal. I just stumbled upon that lab of yours one day and when I saw this thing… well, I just couldn't resist," Baxter admitted, hanging his head slightly in shame. "One night, you had gone home early, and it was just me in the shop, so I took my chance and snuck the thing out of the lab. After that, I quit the job and brought it out here for some field tests. But with all the hikers wandering about, I realized I needed to either keep them away or conceal my identity. In the end, I settled on both; I'm really into cryptozoology," he gestured to the sasquatch mask in Jack's hands, "I'll admit, though; I've been at this for so long that the disguise sorta took on a life of its own."

"I'd say so, considering you almost killed us," Ashi remarked with obvious resentment, accompanied by Jack's stern glare.

Baxter shrugged sheepishly, "What can I say? Everyone else got scared off right away, but you two took it as a challenge! I was impressed, but I also couldn't let you get the better of me; it was a pride thing, you know what I mean?" he explained.

"As a matter of fact, I do…" answered Jack, casting a side glance at Ashi, who batted her eyelashes innocently at him.

"Now, wait just a minute!" Scotsman interjected, turning to ask Baxter, "How long have ya been out here pullin' this stunt'a yers?"

The boy touched held his chin and thought for a moment, "It's been… almost two months since I first came out here. To be honest, I'm surprised Mr. Torrence didn't come looking for this sooner."

Scotsman turned angrily towards ExTor, "AYE, SAME HERE! HOW IN BLAZES DID IT TAKE YA THIS LONG TO FIGURE OUT YA WERE ROBBED!?" he shouted.

"W-Well, we've been quite b-busy with our, er, _other_ operations, as it were, a-a-and I wasn't paying attention to my backlog, uh…" ExTor hastily tried to excuse his faux-pas, but quickly attempted to deflect blame back onto the culprit, "b-b-but what's important is that we managed to recover the stolen exoskeleton before any _real_ damage occurred! Baxter, do you have anything to say for yourself!?" he scolded the ex-employee.

Baxter shook his head, "Nah. I had my fun, but I knew it'd come back to bite me eventually. But for what it's worth, I did lots of research on the capabilities of the exoskeleton!" he reached deep into the sasquatch body and pulled out a small notebook, which he handed to ExTor, "Here, take a look!"

ExTor continued reprimanding the youth as he started flipping through the notebook's pages, "That's great and all, but it doesn't excuse you from…huh…" the engineer began to trail off as he became more intrigued by what was written down, "…these are, uh… awfully concise notes you have here…wow, I…I have to admit, these… these are quite impressive…"

"Well, isn't that just dandy?" Scotsman chimed in sarcastically, "Now enough readin', I got a job to do here! Let's go, son, yer comin' with us!" he reached out to grab the boy and yank him right out of the suit, but was stopped by ExTor.

"Now, now, hold on a minute there, Scot. Perhaps corporal punishment is a tad harsh," he remarked. "Personally, I think it would be more conducive to the development of our, 'research', if we gave Baxter here a chance to redeem himself in the form of his service to our cause. After all, he _has_ provided us with invaluable information on one of our most promising endeavors. His input could be quite useful."

Scotsman stared at the engineer with bulging eyes tightly pursed lips, looking like he was about to explode at any moment. But instead, he defused himself with a sharp exhale, "ALRIGHT! You don't want to press charges? Fine! Do whatever you want, I don't care anymore! Not like I climbed a bloody mountain just to find out the perp was already caught, now did I?" he exclaimed, then turned away with his arms crossed in aggravation.

"Speaking of," Jack finally spoke up again, "How did you two manage to get up here so quickly?"

Scotsman turned his head and pointed with his thumb nonchalantly, "We took the stairs."

Jack and Ashi followed where he was pointing. Sure enough, an entrance to the newly-implemented stairwell was there beside them all along.

Ashi looked up at Jack somberly, "Jack, I'm sorry your birthday turned into such a mess. I just wanted to give you the perfect day, but I should've known something like this would happen. Something _always_ happens to us…" she mused bitterly.

"Are you kidding? I couldn't have asked for a better day!" Jack answered back with a big smile, "So what if we got attacked by a boy in a robot sasquatch costume? It wasn't far off from our usual endeavors, but it _was_ a huge leap in quality from my previous birthdays! Besides," he moved so that he and Ashi were facing each other, and held both of her hands, "Getting to spend the whole day with you was all I wanted out of it."

Ashi's eyes lit up, "Jack…" and she gave him a big hug, resting her head against his chest. He held her back, running a hand through her hair, and they stayed like that for a quiet minute amidst the swaying of the trees.

Eventually, Ashi spoke up again. "You know, your birthday isn't over. We've still got plenty of daylight, and there's not much further to go up the mountain. Think you wanna finish that hike?" she offered happily.

Jack responded with a smug grin, "Only if you're along for the ride," and put his arm around her shoulders while holding up the rope he still had.

Staring indecisively at the rope, Ashi glanced at Jack's expectant face, and finally relented with a roll of her eyes.

After retying the harness, and strapping Ashi to his back once again, Jack set off for the peak of Faust Mountain. It only took them about a half hour to reach to top, and immediately, the view was breathtaking. The sun cast an orange glow upon the green grass that coated the summit, which tapered to create a perfect view of the miles and miles stretching out down below. Setting Ashi down beside him, the two sat there, hand in hand, huddling among the clouds overlooking the horizon.

Ten minutes passed with only the sound of the calm, steady breeze. Finally, Ashi gazed up at Jack, and his gaze moved down to meet hers quite readily. "Happy birthday, Jack," she wished again lovingly, and he moved in to thank her with a gentle, savoring kiss.

Jack couldn't stop thinking about what a departure this birthday was from his previous ones. Usually, they ended in solemn reflection on mistakes of the past, but this one had him looking ahead hope for the future. Here, sitting at the top of a mountain with the love of his life, Jack realized that all was as it should be. Everything that had happened over the last year had led him to this moment, and the thought of how far he had come invigorated him, reminding him of the insurmountable strength of the righteous spirit.

And it was all because of her. With Ashi by his side, Jack knew he could conquer any obstacle.

Once they broke the kiss, they held one last gaze for a brief moment before Jack started to stand up. He looked out pleasantly at the sun about to touch the horizon, and said contently, "It's getting late, we should start heading back down."

Ashi didn't say anything, so Jack looked down to see her curling up into a ball, looking up at him with a playful grin. "Ready when you are, birthday boy!" she teased.

Jack raised an eyebrow, grinning despite himself, and carefully knelt down to put on the harness straps. Once secured, he inhaled smoothly and pushed himself with his legs, shifting his body to keep his balance.

"We're taking the stairs," declared Jack, as he started towards the path back down the mountain.

—END CHAPTER 20—

/


	22. Jack, Ashi, and the Smackback

Thirty thousand feet up in the air, a commercial airliner soared high above the continental heartland, making its way towards the west coast. The midday skies were clear and blue, with sparse patches of wispy clouds; perfect conditions for flying. More than halfway through the nearly six-hour trip, most of the plane's occupants had dozed off, nestled comfortably inside the cabin.

One of them, however, would not be falling asleep any time soon. Part of it was that this was his first flight, but more so it was the anticipation for the upcoming competition, for which he and his girlfriend were making the trip in the first place.

Jack turned to his right to look at Ashi, who was staring intently out the window at the speckled plains down below. Their hands were interlocked, initially to comfort Jack in his inexperience; now they were holding hands just because they liked to.

Ashi noticed Jack's reflection looking back at her in the window, so she turned to flash him a comforting smile. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he affirmed with a smile of his own, "My nerves have calmed down a bit, but I'm still rather anxious for what's to come… In a good way!" he quickly corrected.

"Really?" Ashi raised her eyebrows in pleasant surprise, "Usually you'd be really stressed out, especially given what's at stake here. Whether or not we win this thing determines how much longer we'll be owing our home to AKu…" she said solemnly, thinking aloud. In the back of her mind, Ashi was the one who was stressing. Most of her life had been spent trying to free herself from her Father's oppressive reputation, and that was now coming to a head. It was thanks to Jack that she had made it this far in the first place, but she couldn't help feeling a sliver of doubt about the whole thing—about who she was. Could she ever really escape being a daughter of AKu?

Jack squeezed her hand lightly in reassurance. "True. But lately, I've come to realize—no, I shouldn't say that, because I've always known. I _remembered_ that, no matter how hopeless things may appear, there is always a way. Not that things are _that_ hopeless, mind you; but I have faith in us that we will prevail, as we always have," he asserted, staring confidently ahead at the seat in front of him.

Ashi smiled, "You know, you've been sounding a lot more like that dorky kid with a top knot from karate class," she said, planting a kiss under his bearded chin before laying her head on his shoulder.

"That's a good thing…right?" Jack responded curiously, laying his head over hers.

"Yes, it is," Ashi affirmed, glancing at the sword charm hanging around Jack's neck, before closing her eyes to rest comfortable against him.

/

The following day after they arrived in Los Angeles, the time was finally upon them.

A massive domed stadium stood in the center of, an expansive parking lot. The building was dark brown, with a ring of thin orange windows lining the upper portion of it, and adorned with menacing spikes. Powerful searchlights surrounded the dome, flailing rhythmically back and forth, visible even in the daylight.

Inside, the arena looked even bigger. The small, tinted windows up above provided little light, only filling the interior with an oppressive orange glow. Instead, and entire array of bright stage lights were strung up in the fly space, some of which had colors or strobe effects, or were spotlights that surveyed the room continuously. Swarths of people were packed into the stands high above, surrounding the center stage area, bustling in anticipation of the coming action. Lively music played over the speakers to fill the dead air, along with the combined sound of the audience's indistinct conversations. Six vomitoria, evenly spread out around the room, were the only access to the arena floor from backstage.

Suddenly, everything stopped. The music and lights went dead, and the audience went silent accordingly. Then, spotlights situated between the vomitoria, focused the crowd's attention on at a large octagonal platform. Four large monitors faced out at the audience from over the large platform, and a distinctive man stood in the center dramatically.

The stout man wore a dark brown petticoat over an orange cotton shirt, adorned by a large frilled collar that cemented the colonial look. His hair matched the outfit, dark brown with a receding hairline, and colonial curls on each side. Dark green trousers hugged his stubby legs, with a pair of black dress shoes on his tiny feet.

A microphone hung down from the ceiling in front of him, which he snatched up and began to shout in a raspy British accent, "WELCOME, ONCE AGAIN, TO THE BATTLEFIELD OF BLOODIED BROWS AND BROKEN BONES; TO THE CIRCUS OF EVERLASTING PAIN AND TORMENT; TO A PLACE WHERE THOSE WHO DARE STEP FORWARD TO TEST THEIR METTLE ARE CRUSHED, ALONG WITH THEIR DREAMS OF VICTORY AND FORTUNE; THE ONE! THE ONLY! DOME! OF! DOOOOOOOOOOM!"

The crowd erupted into a frenzied celebration, all chanting the magic word, "DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!"

The man on the platform introduced himself, "As always, _I_ am your esteemed host, Baron Von Gilliam! We are gathered here this evening to witness yet another futile attempt to conquer the Dome's deepest horrors and trials, all for the sake of our yet-to-be-claimed grand prize…" he pointed up at the ceiling in front of him, and the lights illuminated a shiny metallic briefcase hanging overhead, "One _million_ dollars!"

The crowd roared again at the coveted prize money, eager to see the latest contenders struggle desperately to claim it.

"But, before we bring out our latest victims, let us reacquaint ourselves with those who have so loyally guarded the Dome's treasure! Here they are again, folks! I present to you… your champions!" the Baron gestured down at the northwest vomitorium, and the spotlights gathered at the entryway. One by one, the Dome champions trotted out into the arena, each wearing a set of black foam protective gear, and receiving a personal introduction.

"First, the newest edition to our ranks! The shredder of hope: Claw!" A man with a large, toothy smile and a very prominent lower jaw, ran out towards center stage, stopping a few times to stir up the crowd. Thick white sideburns framed the side of his face, and atop his head sat a neatly sloppily-trimmed mohawk.

"Next, the speeding fortress: Torto!" A stout, bulky man ran out and leapt into several somersaults, rolling surprisingly fast over to where the previous champion stood. He rolled to a stop next to Claw, landing on one knee in a flexing pose.

"The prince of darkness: Myotis!" A tall, lean man with pointed features came running out, arms at his sides as though he were flying. He leapt frightfully high into the air, and landed gracefully beside his fellow champions.

"Half-man, half machine: Mr. Roboto!" A much shorter, stockier man wearing a robot helmet jogged mechanically out onto the stage, and perform a very outdated dance routine when he stopped to join the other champions.

"The desert sage: Ghaneesh!" A sturdy, dark-skinned man wearing a turban did a dance of his own while moving towards the center. Straight out of a Bollywood musical, the breezy, swaying motions showcased how swiftly and mesmerizingly he could move his arms.

"The lizard lord: Rrrrreptor!" A man with strangely green skin crawled out onto the floor with frighteningly flexible movements, stopping to dart his face up at the crowd and stick out his long tongue menacingly.

"The Seven Ton Titan: Suuuumooootooooo!" A hulking, blubbery mass emerged, shaking the floor with each step. His hair was a scruffier version of Jack's old top knot, but balding at the top. His jawline resembled a chubby gorilla, and there was no safety armor covering his enormous gut.

"The underwater undertaker: Aqualizer!" A tall, imposing man wearing some sort of diving mask marched out, standing straight like a soldier once he reached the other champions.

"And finally, the savage predator, the feral enforcer, the king of all beasts: Gordo, the Gruesome!" A muscular man of above average height leapt onto the stage floor, with purple hair that resembled a lion's mane covering most of his face. He reared his head up and howled to the sky, setting the crowd off louder than ever.

"For years, these ruthless gladiators have guarded the Dome's precious treasure! Many challengers have stepped forward to claim it. _All_ have been denied. To this day, none been able to overcome the might of our champions! _But_ …" the Baron paused, letting dramatic tension fill the silence, "Will tonight be the night that this changes? Will our latest challengers be the first to conquer the Dome!?"

The boos and jeers from the crown indicated their disagreement.

"Whatever the outcome, only time will tell…" he said forebodingly, "Now, before we meet our ill-fated contestants, a word from our sponsors!" And with that, the Baron retreated back into the rafters as the music came on again, and the crowd resumed their idle murmuring. An advertisement started playing for "BUFFER", a brand of a protective, foam-like material used for various toys and equipment; these products were endorsed by the Dome of Doom, and special "BUFFER" safety gear was provided for the champions and contenders during challenges.

Back in Burlington, the televised program had gone to a commercial break. Despite still being light out where the competition took place, the difference in time zones meant that here it was starting to get dark out. One viewer took the opportunity during the commercials to grab popcorn and a beer from the kitchen, and plop back down on his friends' couch. Their white dog sat on the floor in front of him, facing the television as if he acknowledged what was going on.

Jack and Ashi had asked Scotsman to watch their home while they were away, specifying that they could be gone for at least a week. Assuming they won the competition, they would use a portion of their winnings to extend their stay at the resort hotel, and spend more time in California having a real vacation. All Scotsman had to do was make sure Wolf was being fed, but he chose to get comfortable in the apartment again. And this time, Molly had no qualms with him being away from home.

Scotsman cracked open the beer and took a big swig, then let out a contented sigh as he leaned back against the couch. Taking a handful of popcorn next caused Wolf to turn his head back to look with intrigue. Scotsman picked up on the hint and tossed a few pieces of popcorn to the animal, which eagerly caught them with his mouth. As the dog chewed, Scotsman glanced at the beer in his hand, then back at the dog, "I don't suppose ya want some'a this too?"

Wolf barked defiantly in response.

"Didn't think so," said Scotsman, taking another sip.

Back at the arena, Jack and Ashi waited in a green room deep underneath the stadium for their call to come out. Wearing light workout clothes, they sat on the floor facing each other, cross-legged and eyes closed in meditation, mentally preparing for the upcoming challenge. Jack had tied his hair up into a tight ponytail to keep it out of his face.

There was a knock on the door, and a stagehand poked his head in to inform them, "It's almost time. You guys can head over to the… lift… now…" seeing them sitting there in complete silence threw him off.

They stood up from their spots on the floor, eyes still shut, and took one more deep breath to loosen up. Jack's eyes opened, and he looked at the stage hand with a confident smile, "We're ready."

Meanwhile, AKu and Scaramouche were watching TV and drinking wine in the mogul's office. The screen hung to the right of AKu's desk, and across from the couch his assistant was seated at. He swirled the wine around the glass in one hand, while absentmindedly passing channel after channel with the remote in the other.

"Uggghhhh, there is _nothing_ on tonight…" groaned AKu.

"I hear ya, boss," replied Scaramouche, scrolling on his phone with his free hand, "Cable television just needs to bite the bullet already. Why watch something on _their_ schedule when we can stream whenever we want? Why are we even bothering with this?" he asked.

"Ehhh, streaming kind of overwhelms me. So many shows that I _want_ to watch, yet they're all require such a commitment. I always just end up watching something easy and accessible. Speaking of which, do you want to watch that show about the office? What's it called again…?"

Before Scaramouche could answer, the current program returned from its commercial break, catching his attention. "Oh, look! Dome of Doom is on! Let's watch it!" he called out, waving his hand frantically.

"Ahhh, it's been a while!" AKu remarked fondly, getting comfortable at his desk.

Scaramouche nodded enthusiastically, "Sure has, babe! Can't wait to see what poor saps are going to embarrass themselves tonight!"

Baron Von Gilliam came up on the screen, once again perched upon his platform overlooking the arena. "Now then, it is time for us to introduce tonight's competitors!" he looked down at a cue card in his hand, "Hailing all the way from Vermont, this couple owns and operates a martial arts dojo. Four decades worth of experience between them makes this dynamic duo a force to be reckoned with."

"Huh, why does that sound familiar…?" AKu wondered aloud as he took another sip.

The two figures rose slowly out of the hole in the center of the arena. "But, will their skills be enough to triumph? Please welcome, Jack and Ashi!" Baron exclaimed, as spotlights illuminated the two competitors.

AKu's eyes widened, and he spat up his mouthful of wine, " _WHAT!?_ "

Scaramouche was stunned as well, his mouth rounding out into an O shape which curled upwards at the edges in amusement.

Standing there intensely, Jack and Ashi had been fitted with armor composed of the "BUFFER" safety foam, Jack's red and Ashi's blue.

The crowd roared in excitement at the two competitors, once again engaging in the Dome's trademark chant: "DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!"

After letting the crowd go wild for a minute or two, Baron spoke up again, "Let us turn now to our contenders to see what they have to say, courtesy of our trusted messenger, Dutch Livingston!"

Suddenly, a man in more modern formal attire descended from the ceiling on a much smaller, more mobile platform, landing right beside Jack and Ashi. A camera outstretched on a robotic arm focused in on them. He spoke into the microphone in his hand, "Thanks, Baron! Jack, Ashi, pleasure to meet you both! Now, Jack, are you excited to be here with us tonight? Do you think the two of you have what it takes to take home to gold tonight, a feat that no other contender has pulled off to date? And say you _do_ win, what do you plan to do with the money?" he asked quickly without taking a breath.

Jack looked at the man dumbfounded, too in his own head to acknowledge the rapid-fire question. "O-Oh, uh… Well, we… I-I've never been on TV before, and—" he stammered, but was cut off when Ashi leaned in to speak on his behalf.

"Well, Dutch, Jack and I are very excited to be here, and are most _definitely_ going to win that money, _and_ we're going to use it to pay off the lease on our apartment!" she declared, shooting a smug grin into the camera at whoever might be watching.

Consequently, AKu sneered in anger as Scaramouche laughed silently to himself.

"Well, you two certainly seem to have things figured out! Let's see if you can follow through with that! Before we get started, Baron's going to give us a rundown on how this all works. Baron?" Dutch looked up at the suspended platform where his fellow announcer stood.

Baron cleared his throat as four large screens hanging above the platform lit up, showing a board of ten dollar values ranging from one thousand dollars up to one million. To the right of that were five vertical icons. "You will be competing in a total of 9 challenges at the minimum. In each challenge, one of you will be pitted against one of our champions in a particular contest. Victory will move you up by one spot on the board, but defeat will cost you a 'stock'," he explained, and the icons lit up briefly. "Losing all five stocks means 'game over', and all of your winnings will be lost! However, if you manage to retain at least one stock after completing all nine challenges, you will gain access to our infamous obstacle course, 'The Finisher'"! If you win, you _double_ your prize money! But if you lose, your winnings will be halved…" the host chuckled with a sneer. "Only by conquering the Finisher can you hope to acquire the coveted grand prize of one million dollars, a feat that has yet to be accomplished by _any_ of our contenders! We are eager to see if you are up for the task…" said Baron snidely, and the crowd began chanting again.

"Well, now that we're all clear on that, let's move onto the first challenge and see which champion you'll be facing!" Dutch announced excitedly, then turned to the couple, "First things first though: which of you will be competing to start?"

Ashi turned to Jack with a smile, and gestured him to go first. "That would be me," he stepped forward with his left hand raised.

"Fantastic! Come this way, please, both of you," Dutch led them to the edge of the arena, where they watched in awe as the stadium floor opened up in front of them, and a long octagonal court emerged to fill in the space. It looked like a basketball or tennis court, except for a single buoy-like basket in the middle of it, and two large baskets of colored balls on each end, one red and one blue.

"Your first challenge will be 'Battle Ball'! The rules are simple: score points by getting a colored ball that matches the current color shown into the center basket," he explained, as the floor around said basket lit up a bright red. "But, of course, your attempts to score will be impeded by the one and only: GORDO THE GRUESOME!" Upon hearing his name, the champion burst from the sidelines and leapt onto the court, emitting a loud howl as he flexed his muscles, which the crowd ate up. "A couple more things: You can only have one ball at a time, and if that ball touches the ground then it can't be used to score, and you will have to grab a new one from the basket. If you can score five points in three minutes, you'll be on the board with your first total at one thousand dollars!"

Jack was then directed onto the court himself, and stood on the red side with a hand over the ball repository; he wasn't allowed to touch them until the game officially began. Gordo stood menacingly on at the other end, baring his "fangs" at his challenger.

The champion called out with heavy gusto, "While I respect you out of principle for the beard, this is _my_ court. Prepare yourself, challenger, for I will stomp you like a grape! I will crack you like an egg! I will mop the floor with you so hard that the janitor will be able to take a week's vacation! This challenge is over before it has begun! I am the beginning and the end! I am your destroyer! I will massacre you!" he roared, prompting more cheering from the crowd.

"Your threats do not phase me. A true warrior has no need for such gratuitous language," Jack asserted.

A referee stood on a pedestal over the court to direct the action. He held his hand out to Jack and asked, "Is the challenger ready?" Jack nodded. His other hand pointed at Gordo, "Is the Champion ready?" Gordo snarled. The referee's hand now hung over his head for a moment, before being brought down like an axe splitting wood as he shouted, "BEGIN!"

Jack instantly picked up a ball and made a break for the basket, while Gordo began rushing towards him. He was almost able to get the ball in, but Gordo tackled the basket, causing him to miss as it popped back up shakily with its rounded bottom. Seeing that the floor color hadn't changed Jack then doubled back to get another ball, but Gordo snatched his ankle from the ground as he passed, and he fell over.

"Where do you think you're going!?" the champion taunted.

Undeterred, Jack kicked himself free and managed to grab another ball. This time, he faked to the right, then to the left, then right again before spinning around the other way as Gordo dove to block. The champion took a tumble as Jack slammed the ball into the basket for his first point.

"Nice!" Ashi cheered from the sidelines.

The audience, however, was still on the challenger's side, booing Jack's fancy footwork.

The light changed to blue, so Jack started running for the blue balls on the opposite end of the court. Gordo rubbed his head, then angrily pushed himself off the ground to give chase. Jack picked up a ball and—sensing his pursuer behind him—leapt onto the side of the ball basket and backflipped over Gordo's head, who crashed into the metal bin. By the time he shook it off, Jack had scored again, and the color flipped back to red.

The audience booed again, but quieter this time.

Jack reached the other side and grabbed another ball, turning around to face off with his opponent. The Gruesome Gordo snarled, standing firmly between Jack and the goal basket. Jack sidestepped to the right a bit, then to the left, but Gordo stayed right in front of him with each movement. Thinking for a moment, Jack smirked and lobbed the ball over Gordo's head, seemingly going for the basket. Gordo was quick to intercept, backing up and diving to catch the ball before it landed in the basket. He laughed as he picked himself up, facing away from Jack, "Did you really think I'd let you get that…" only to turn and see Jack already standing next to the basket with another ball, "…in?" they dropped their balls simultaneously, Gordo's face falling as well while Jack's landed in the basket for his third point.

There was sparse laughter among the crowd.

With one minute to go, the color changed back to blue again. Jack started for the blue balls again, but found Gordo leaning against the basket with his arms outstretched along the rim. "Can't score if you don't have a ball!" he sneered triumphantly. Scowling, Jack reached out and grasped the champion's shoulders, firmly yanking him off and tossing him to the side. Not happy with being manhandled so easily, Gordo pulled himself up and intercepted Jack before he could double back towards the goal, tackling him and wrapping himself firmly around the challenger. "So, you wanna play rough, do ya?" Gordo taunted, getting Jack into a full nelson.

"Oh, this doesn't look good, folks!" Baron spoke up over the action, "No one has ever escaped one of Gordo's grapples! This might be the end for our challenger…"

Still holding onto the ball, Jack opened his eyes to see the basket within range. He put all of his strength into his legs, forcing himself onto his knees, then finally stood up with Gordo on his back. The champion was speechless as Jack dragged him along, trying to get the ball into the basket. His attempts to knock the ball from Jack's hand only loosened his hold, which allowed the challenger to free himself and score before Gordo could stop him.

The audience gasped, and Baron shared their shock, "That was unprecedented, folks! Our contender is only one point away from victory, but with only thirty seconds left to score!" Baron narrated excitedly, as Jack hustled to the red ball basket.

Gordo was visibly furious, and began beating his chest like an ape. The feral champion roared, catching everyone's attention as he stomped around angrily. Baron gasped, "Oh my, it looks like Gordo has gone primal on us! There's no telling what he'll do in this state, he's completely out of our control!" Naturally, the beastly Gordo began bashing the goal basket wildly, grunting with each swipe.

"That's not fair!" Ashi argued from the sidelines, and looked up to the ref for confirmation. "Is he allowed to do that?"

"He's running out the clock, which is perfectly legal. Anything goes in this arena except for skin-to-skin contact, so basically you can't punch anyone in the face… unless you're wearing BUFFER gear. Other than that, players can do whatever they please," the referee explained. Ashi turned to Jack curiously as he picked a red ball out of the basket and calmly walked up to face his opponent. With all of the options he had, and little time to choose, she wondered why he was moving so slow.

Jack stood patiently, staring his opponent dead-on, whose swatting slowed down to a steady rhythm. With only fifteen seconds left on the clock, the champion shot him a toothy grin, and a look that boasted complete confidence in the challenger's failure. Jack paused for a moment, then with a flick of his arm, launched the ball straight at Gordo's face. The ball struck him square in the forehead, bouncing up into the air while knocking the champion backwards and onto the floor. The crowd was fixated on the ball as it reached its apex in the air. The goal basket wobbled around for a few seconds, and reset itself straight up just as the ball came back down, landing right in the top. An airhorn went off as the light under the basket flashed its two colors back and forth rapidly over and over. The clock was stopped at only two seconds left.

The audience finally broke their unusual silence, erupting into thunderous celebration which was joined by Ashi on the sidelines, and Scotsman watching back home. AKu, on the other hand, crossed his arms and scoffed petulantly.

Jack looked around in bewilderment at the people cheering for him, and smiled sheepishly before running off of the court to receive a big hug from Ashi.

Baron looked upon the challengers with a subtle glare. "Well, that was certainly an impressive display from our challenger! He's earned them a place on the board, their first step towards the grand prize!" The host announced dramatically, as the bottom rung of the scoreboard lit up with a flashy effect. The Battle Ball court sank back into the ground, and Baron introduced the next event. "Now, it is time to see if our _other_ contender can add to that, in our next challenge: Deadly Duel!" he shouted.

The crowd roared at the announcement, as two towering pillars arose from the depths. The surrounding floor receded to reveal an enormous tank of water below. Deadly Duel was a fan favorite because it meant the appearance of a particular champion. One of the two masked champions, his imposing stature made him the more intimidating of the two. There he was, emerging from the vomitorium opposite Jack and Ashi: The Aqualizer. Already holding the official dueling weapon—a long staff with BUFFER clubs on both ends—he raised his arms in response to the crowd's praise, as a platform came down in front of him on a robotic arm. He stepped on and it brought him to one of the pillars.

As they gazed upon the new arrangement, Jack turned to Ashi. "Looks like it's your turn, are you ready?" he asked.

Ashi smirked with a furrowed brow, punching into her palm, "Bring it." Jack wished her luck and kissed her on the cheek, replacing her confident grin with a rosy smile. A stagehand appeared and handed Ashi some BUFFER headgear and a dueling weapon of her own, as another platform landed in front of her. Eagerly, she accepted both and hopped onto the platform, being lifted onto the opposing pillar.

Baron spoke, "The challenger must attempt to knock our undefeated champion off his platform in order to claim the next spot on the board, and as always, _nothing_ is off limits!" he exclaimed, and the audience screamed their approval.

Ashi watched the Aqualizer as she stepped onto the platform in front of her. It was difficult to read him through the mask, but he made his thoughts clear when he spoke up. "Little girl, it was foolish of you to come forward and face me. For I, a humble servant of this grand dome, have never been bested in a duel. For the glory of the dome, and for the sake of my loyal fans, your journey ends here!" he declared, pointing his weapon at her.

Ashi was unfazed, putting on the headgear as she calmly retorted, "Grandstand while you can, because I'm going to knock you off your pedestal!" She gripped her weapon and got into a ready stance.

The referee gestured to Ashi, "Is the contender ready?"

"Yes," she answered sternly.

"Is the Champion ready?"

The Aqualizer swung his weapon in response, signifying a yes.

The referee brought his arm down, "Begin!"

Immediately, the Aqualizer brought his weapon up and went for an overhead strike, which Ashi readily blocked. He then swung at her left side, then attacked the other with the opposite end of the weapon, both deflected as well. Slightly impressed, the champion began twirling his weapon around in his hands, rolling it over his head and around his body like he was spinning a sign in front of a store. Whatever he was selling, the crowd was buying it in bulk, whooping and hollering as he showed off his "skills". Ashi, however, was not impressed by the display; nor was she distracted as was intended, allowing her to easily defend against several abrupt attacks that came after.

"Hmph! Well done, challenger. You may be adept at intercepting my strikes, but you'll need to do more than that if you wish to—hey!" the Aqualizer's monologue was interrupted by Ashi's retaliation, forcing him to block her version of his overhead strike from earlier.

Ashi then spun her weapon in her hands, much faster and more effortlessly than her opponent, before dismissing his threats, "Between your fighting and your monologuing, you've got a better chance at putting me to sleep!" she tore into him figuratively as she attacked the champion literally from every angle with her weapon.

Her relentless assault forced him to the very edge of the platform, and his face behind the mask was one of worry upon feeling his back foot about to slip off. As she reared back for a final swing to knock him off, the Aqualizer took advantage of a stage hazard only he was aware off: his opponent's platform was not properly attached to the pillar, and a firm jolt would cause it to wobble unsteadily. With a hidden smirk, he smacked the platform she stood on, causing the entire platform to shake. Ashi was forced to abandon her swing just to keep her balance, and she didn't have much time for that before the Aqualizer went at her again.

Ashi was still able to block, but her footing was off, and was now herself being forced to the edge of her platform by the opponent's blows. His weapon was pressed hard against hers, pushing her back into a lean. With a worried look, she could see the clear water down just by turning her head.

"Oh my, our poor contender is pinned down! Is she going to take the plunge?" Baron asked with exaggerated concern, secretly hoping so.

"No!" Scotsman shouted.

"Yes!" AKu cheered.

"Ashi, don't give up! I _know_ you can win!" Jack screamed from the sidelines.

Hearing his voice lit a fire in Ashi, and her brow furrowed again as she pushed with all her might to win back her footing while throwing off her opponent's. The Aqualizer stumbled a bit, but quickly recovered. The two were now locked in a fierce volley of attacks, blocking and retaliating back and forth.

The crowd watched the two opponents with complete enrapture. They had seen the Aqualizer fight this hard before, nor have they seen anyone able to keep up with him in the first place.

Finally, they swung at the same time and their weapons clanked hard, causing them both to stagger. At this point, the Aqualizer decided to exploit the faulty platform again, and rose his weapon to slam it hard enough to catapult her off. However, Ashi anticipated this, and leapt up just as his weapon came down, while bringing hers over her head. She came down hard on the champion, landing an overhead strike right on his diving mask, causing it to ring like a bell. He clutched his head in pain at the vibration, but had no time to recover before Ashi unleashed an onslaught of blows, smacking him from every direction. She finished with a forward thrust that nailed him square in the chest, sending him flying off the pedestal and into the water below.

An air horn sounded, as flashing lights lit up around the arena. "Winner: Contender!" the referee shouted and gestured at Ashi, who removed her headgear and raised her weapon high in triumph.

The crowd erupted once again, astounded by the challenger's success, while the champion splashed angrily down below.

Jack cheered proudly, "Way to go!" as the suspended platform carried Ashi back down to him. She jumped off and immediately dropped the equipment to double high-five him, fingers interlocking upon contact, then proceeded to push his hands back so their lips would meet.

"Well, this is unprecedented, folks. Both of our challengers have proven their mettle against two of our fiercest challengers, reaching the next spot on the board!" Baron announced, pointing at the board which lit up the next amount from the bottom: two thousand and five hundred dollars.

Suddenly, a siren went off, and Jack and Ashi looked around in confusion.

Baron gasped, "Oh my, this is quite the treat! Folks, you all know what that sound means, don't you?" he asked presumptuously.

The audience proved him right, yelling in unison, "TAG! TEAM! TUSSLEEEEE!"

Jack and Ashi looked at each other in continued confusion, "Tag team tussle…?" they repeated simultaneously.

"Yes, a Tag Team Tussle! Our two contestants will compete together against two of our champions in their next challenge!" Baron explained, "Both of them will succeed, or neither; it is time to put their teamwork to the test!"

They looked at each other again, this time sharing a confident smirk, and an arm wrestle handshake.

"When we return, we will find out which champions our duo will face, in what challenge, and if they can continue their already impressive streak! Stay tuned!" Baron addressed the cameras, signing off for another commercial break.

/

"How disappointing," AKu lamented, watching the playback footage Ashi's performance that played before the program went to commercial. "But not surprising. After all, she has my blood, so it's to be expected that she would be victorious. Still…"

Scaramouche chimed in, finishing the thought, "It's too bad Ashi was never that driven when she was on your side, eh? Guess that Samurai really brings out the best in her!"

AKu grimaced, "Bah! What a waste! She has so much potential, yet she squanders it by following the foolish Samurai around like a lovesick pup! If only there were a way to get the good part of Ashi without all those feelings of hers getting in the way... Eh, I'll worry about it later," AKu dismissed with a wave of his hand. "What matters now is making sure those lovebirds don't win that grand prize!"

"How exactly are we gonna do that, Boss? They're already there, the show is happening as we speak," Scaramouche pointed out.

AKu smiled, pulling out his cell phone, "Ah, but even spinning wheels can still be stopped with the right brakes…"

Meanwhile, Baron Von Gilliam sat in his personal green room, freshening up his attire when his cell phone went off. Instinctively, he picked it up and answered the caller immediately, "Yes?"

"Hello there, Mr. Gilliam!" AKu spoke into the phone with a gleeful tone, "It is I, AKu, the shapeshifting master of politics! And I have a proposition for you…"

Baron's eyes widened, and he shot up from his chair to pace around as he greeted the mogul, "O-Oh my, this is quite the honor, sir! To what do I owe this, er… _pleasantly_ unexpected call?"

"Well, Mr. Gilliam—may I call you Baron? Well, Baron, I have a favor to ask of you. You see, your two contestants competing right now, well… I don't particularly feel like rooting for them, and I was wondering if, perhaps, you'd be willing to 'intervene', if you catch my drift… just a little!" AKu innocently suggested, while Scaramouche leaned in to eavesdrop.

Baron scratched his head, "I'm not so sure that would be wise, sir. You see, while I'm not opposed to interfering, I'm already on thin ice with the network. Let's just say there's a reason there aren't any female champions…"

AKu and Scaramouche shot a skeeved look at each other, then the former responded, "Oh, come now, surely there is something you could do to make the competition a bit more interesting, yes? You see, I am a prominent stockholder in the company which sponsors your program. If you do this favor for me, perhaps I could negotiate for you a better contract… one that involves several scantily clad women under your employ…?" AKu sneakily suggested.

Just the thought of that made Baron begin to sweat. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his brow, "Well… m-my champions are not unwilling to play dirty, perhaps I could… persuade them to be a little _rougher_ on the contenders."

"Yes, _now_ we're getting somewhere!" AKu encouraged.

"Is there…anyone in particular you'd like me to send out?" asked Baron.

AKu tapped his chin in contemplation, "Hmm… I'd like someone large…"

"Large how?" Baron inquired.

"What?"

"What _kind_ of large?"

"Huh?"

"You know, different builds! All of our champions are _large_ in some way. Large as in tall? Buff? Or do you mean _large_ large?"

"EXTRA THICK!" AKu emphasized.

Baron nodded, "Well then, you're going to want Sumoto. By far, the 'thickest' champion we have!"

"Excellent!" the mogul cheered.

"And who else would you like? The next challenge is a tag team," Baron pointed out.

Scaramouche then tapped his boss on the shoulder, gesturing that he wanted to talk to Baron. AKu explained, "Hold on, my assistant would like a word," before handing the phone off to him.

"How's it goin', Von G? Let me ask you, who's the most eccentric champion?" Scaramouche asked, "And I mean eccentric in like a 'he's so entertaining to watch' kind of way, not a 'I am genuinely afraid he is going to hurt someone' way."

Baron thought for a moment, "Well, there's always the Claw; he fits _both_ of those categories, and I get the feeling you're in the market for someone like that…"

"Uh huh, uh huh…" Scaramouche nodded, "What else can you tell me about him?"

"Let's see: he's Australian, he likes sharp objects, and… that's about it, really."

"Sold. You had me at Australian, babe!"

Baron nodded, "Very well, I shall add those two to the lineup for the next challenge. I must be off now; the commercial break is almost over. Thank you for you input, gentlemen. I hope you enjoy the rest of the competition!"

"Indeed, I will…" AKu said with a grin, and hung up the phone.

Minutes later, the door opened to the champion locker room, and Baron peeked his head in to call the next two. "Sumoto! Claw! You're up!" he barked, and the two men obediently headed over. He pulled them in for a quick huddle, "By the way, I have a special request… from AKu," the champions looked at each other in surprise, then back at Baron to hear the request.

" _Crush_ them."

/

Jack and Ashi emerged from the southwest vomitorium just as the intermission ended. The arena began to transform again, this time into a long hexagonal platform over the water, with three separate platforms branching out from each side. Each platform had a large lever sticking out from the floor.

Baron stepped out onto his balcony and took hold of the microphone again. "Welcome back to the Dome of Doom! Now, it is time to see if our resilient contenders can continue their winning streak—in our tag team tussle challenge, Hexa-Gauntlet!" The crowd enthusiastically voiced their approval. "Dutch, why don't you break this one down for us? Baron suggested.

"My pleasure!" Dutch answered, flying in on his energetic platform. "Our contenders will have to flip each of the six levers surrounding the arena, then once they've done that, _both_ of them need to put themselves in the light that appears in the center—or part of them, even just a hand will do. Only the levers that are lit up can be flipped, and only two light up at a time, so they have to go in the correct order. If they can evade or subdue our champions to accomplish this task before time runs out, they win!" he explained.

Listening from the sidelines, Jack remarked, "Seems simple enough."

"I just wish they didn't have to handicap us like this," complained Ashi, fidgeting with the red foam safety gloves they were ordered to wear. "Guess the challenge would be over too quickly otherwise," she joked.

"Everyone has to wear them, so at least we'll be on even terms. Still, I don't think making our blow less potent will do them any good," Jack playfully boasted.

Ashi smiled confidently back at him, and affirmed the notion with a fist bump. "So, the plan: Take out the champions first—one for each of us— _then_ worry about the levers. Right?"

Jack nodded, "Right."

Baron then spoke up again, "Now, let us introduce the two champions who shall be opposing our brave challengers this time! First, the wonder from down under; a _cut_ above the rest; the only man for whom 'sharp' is a literal description: The Claw!" The champion emerged from the northeast vomitorium. The crowd greeted with boos and jeers, which the champion seemed to relish in as he stepped on to the platform which brought him over to the main arena. "Ahh, it seems our viewers aren't too pleased with the Claw after his last performance. If you'll recall, our champion was a little too liberal with that day's contender, and their challenge came to an abrupt and tragic end…" Baron recounted somberly.

Dutch chimed in, "You said it. I'd hate to see the man who would keep going with their leg looking like _that_ …"

"Now then, for our second champion… a man big enough to be a team all on his own!" The entire arena shuttered lightly, then again, and again, each time shaking more violently, as a massive shadow emerged the northwest vomitorium, "The gluttonous goliath; the whopping warrior; making his tag team debut: Sumoto!" The hulking mass stepped out, almost completely filling out the entryway from which he came. The crowd went wild at the silent, stoic sumo wrestler, as two of the suspended platforms came down to try and get him over to the arena. With one foot on each, the mechanisms were visibly struggling to support the impressive weight, but managed to get him across the gap before giving out.

"Woah, he's… a _lot_ bigger in person," Ashi gawked, briefly hesitating at the immense size of their opponent.

Jack blinked looking at the behemoth, "…Perhaps we should take him one on together."

Ashi had already dispelled her doubts, "Nah, I can take him."

"Are you sure about that?" Jack asked, shooting her a skeptical side glance, "I remember you sounded confident about something like this once before, and that didn't go quite the way you intended."

Ashi crossed her arms defiantly, "This is different! We're not dealing with a robotic ape man this time around, just a big fat guy. Not at all the same thing," she argued.

Jack sighed as the platform arrived to bring them over to the arena, "If you say so…"

Baron narrated as Jack and Ashi made their way to center stage, "Our challengers have already proven their mettle _individually_. Now, let us find out if their teamwork will amplify that prowess—or hinder it—as they face off against two of our most infamous champions!" The audience roared in excitement for the upcoming bout. "Three minutes on the clock, let's see what happens…" said Baron, relinquishing his spotlights to the referee as the players got in position.

The contestants and champions faced off with one another, as the levers directly behind the latter lit up with a blue light. Attention was called again to the referee, who performed the preliminary check-in with the athletes. "Challengers, ready?" Jack and Ashi nodded, "Champions, ready?" The Claw nodded with a menacing grin, while Sumoto slapped his gut, "…BEGIN!" the referee shouted, signaling to start the event and the timer.

Jack immediately sprang for the first switch, but his path was blocked by the Claw, who snickered at the contestant. "Haeng aun thair, mite," he greeted in a thick Australian accent, "Een sauch a rush t' get ahn weeth tha cawnteest, aw see! Wheel, we in't gonna lit ya jast skeep ahn deewn theese little bridge here een pull thaht levah! Yer gonna heff t' gao through me an' tha beeg fella," Claw pointed at Sumoto behind him, "Haupe yer reday t' git buggered!"

"Uhh… what?" Jack raised an eyebrow in confusion at the Aussie slang, only to be immediately assaulted by the champion's ferocious attacks. Jack dodged the first few attacks, then blocked the next swing, but he felt a stinging pain upon contact with his forearm, causing him to recoil. Claw didn't give him any breathing room and kept swinging, leaving small cuts in Jack's side, outer thigh, and finally his cheek before the two split up to face each other down. Jack touched the cut on his face and hissed, then noticed the tiny glimmer's coming from all over his opponent's body. The Claw had tiny razors sticking out of his armor!

The Claw grinned, "Whassa matta? Nuthin' wraung weeth a little accessorizin'! Tha's jast tha way'a tha Dohme! But nao worries, mite, I'll troy not t' scrape ya up sao much!" before lunging at Jack again.

Meanwhile, Ashi faced down (or up) the behemoth, Sumoto, without batting an eyelash. "Aren't you a healthy boy?" she taunted. He only grunted in response. "Well, you know what they say: The bigger they are…" Ashi charged, raising her fists to deal the first blow, "The harder they FALL!" she shouted, and unleashed a barrage on her opponent's massive gut. But the blows had little effect, only making ripples on the belly like raindrops in a puddle. The champion laughed heartily at her ineffectual attacks.

Now fired up, Ashi leapt to Sumoto's height and delivered a single powerful punch square into his face—just as squishy as his stomach—leaving a small crater in place of his features. Once it popped back into form, the champion's face contorted in pure rage. Ashi flinched at his sudden change in demeanor, and her guarded stance proved worthless when Sumoto gut checked her. The immense force sent her flying back, and she landed on the floor with a skid.

Ashi got up on her hands and knees, and blew a stray hair out of her face, annoyed. "Whoever came up with that expression really needed to explain a bit further…" she muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over Ashi. She didn't even get a chance to turn her head before being picked up by Sumoto, and bear hugged tightly against his chest. The thick flesh engulfed her from all sides as she struggled vainly to free herself from the smothering grip. "You know, if it weren't for these stupid mitts, you'd be _so out_ right now!" Ashi yelled angrily, still trying to wriggle free. Sumoto just grinned down at her flailing wildly against his blubber. "JACK!" she called out, finally relenting, "I could use a hand over here!"

Currently flat on his back, Jack was having problems of his own. He was pinned down by his opponent, holding the champion back with his legs as he swiped violently like a rabid mongoose. "One moment, please!" he shouted back. It would be some time before he could come to her rescue, and a minute had already passed.

Ashi was still sunk into the mass of flesh, her arms pinned to her sides. Her only options were to kick her legs ineffectively, or shake her head back and forth with equal payoff, and she tried both in desperation. As she moved her head from side to side, her tuft of hair was brushing across Sumoto's skin like a feather. The sensation caused his stoic expression to falter; his brow loosened, his lips upturned, his raspy voice began bubbling up in a low murmur, which evolved into giggles that gradually became more and more intense. He was ticklish! Realizing this, Ashi shook her head even faster, making Sumoto laugh even harder, his hold on her starting to loosen.

Meanwhile, Jack finally managed to push the Claw off him completely. Knocked onto his own back, the champion quickly hopped to his feet, but just in time to receive a right hook from Jack, ignoring the prickly armor, followed by a gut punch and an uppercut, putting him right back onto the floor. The champion staggered to his feet, rubbing his large chin, then with a scowl he charged at Jack again with his claws outstretched. Jack sidestepped in anticipation and hooked one of the champions arms in the crook of his elbow, clenching his teeth as the sharp edges dug into him. Spinning him around, Jack tossed Claw back in the direction he came, who was sent spinning wildly towards the edge of the arena. He teetered on the edge, flailing his arms to keep balance, but wasn't able to stop himself from slipping off. He did manage to cling to the side and keep himself from landing in the water below, but he was out of the challenger's way for the time being.

With his opponent gone, Jack rushed over to Ashi's aid, just as she was able to slip out of Sumoto's grip. "Ashi, I'm here! How can I—" Jack was interrupted by Ashi plucking the hair tie off of his head, allowing his long hair to come spilling out over his face as it usually did, "…help?"

"Perfect, thank you!" Ashi pecked him on the cheek quickly before running off to stop Sumoto from catching his breath.

Jack blinked, "You're welcome…?" as he watched Ashi tickle the helpless champion into submission.

Once the champion was properly exhausted, she sauntered over to Jack with a grin, handed the hair tie over triumphantly and said, "Told you I could take him."

Jack rolled his eyes playfully, then switched back into serious mode, "We've bought ourselves some time, let's get to those levers!" he urged, tying his hair back into a tight bun.

"Way ahead of you!" Ashi quipped, already turning to go for the first switch.

The bridges leading to the separate platforms were long and narrow, wide enough to only accommodate one person at a time. Still, they were easy for Jack and Ashi to cross. The first two switches were completely opposite from each other, and pulling the levers actually took a considerable amount of force. Ashi got to hers first, then Jack flipped his. As they went back and forth to flip their switches, the Claw clawed his way back onto the arena, while Sumoto tried to roll himself onto his feet.

Once Ashi had flipped her third switch, she turned back towards the center platform and started over the bridge only to cry out and fall forward when her legs didn't follow along. Ashi turned back to see the Claw, clinging tightly to her legs with a sneer, and found out about the razors the hard way.

Jack, meanwhile, had finally flipped his last switch, and now the light in the center of the arena had appeared. He turned and headed for across the bridge for it, but stopped when he caught sight of Sumoto pulling himself up. Their eyes locked onto each other, and it became a standoff between the two men with similar hairstyle preferences. Jack quickly glanced at the goal light, then flicked his eyes back to his opponent to maintain the stare down.

Ashi was now dragging herself and the Claw, who was gripping her legs tightly, along the ground towards the goal. She could see the bright light towering off into the ceiling, becoming lost in the swarm of even brighter rays from the stadium lights overhead, and kept pulling towards it. The champion was now using his own feet to anchor himself, trying to halt her progress, but she was persistant, even with the razors digging into her skin. Inch by inch, the beam of light drew ever closer.

Immediately, Jack sprinted for the safety of the light, but Sumoto was surprisingly quick. He barreled in the direction of Jack's path like a freight train rumbling down the tracks, and stopped for a moment to launch his titanic weight into the air for a crushing swan dive. Jack dove himself to close the distance just as Ashi reached her hand into the circle of light, but was caught just shy by the meteoric Sumoto, disappearing under his bulk. The entire stadium felt the tremor from the landing.

"No!" Ashi cried out from across the circle.

There was an audible gasp, then the crowd went silent, save for sparse murmurs.

Scotsman stared at the screen with his mouth agape.

"BWAAAHAAAHAAHAAHAHAHAHAAAA!" AKu laughed out of pure joy at seeing his nemesis obliterated.

Scaramouche winced at the screen, "Oooh, that's gotta hurt! Guess he's 'Samurai Flapjack' now! AAAHAHAHAHAHA…uh" his laughter trailed off in response to his boss's deadpan stare.

"Oh dear! It looks like our challengers have finally met their match, folks. I've yet to meet the man that could walk off one of Sumoto's signature body slams, and our poor, flattened contender only has thirty seconds to come to…" Baron lamented with faux sincerity. "One can only imagine the sheer agony our challenger must be feeling underneath the tremendous weight. His horribly mangled body writhing in—" his graphic depiction was interrupted by the sirens of victory, sounding off to everyone's surprise.

Ashi ceased her mourning and lifted her head to see Jack's hand lying flat against the goal, having weaseled its way out from under the mound of flesh.

Baron was aghast, "Wha…I-Inconceivable!"

The crowd, having gone through a spectrum of emotions just now, exploded once again into a frenzy of cheers and applause.

Scotsman joined them in their celebration, "ATTA BOY, LADDIE!" while Wolf wagged his tail excitedly.

Speechless, AKu's arms spazzed out as he searched frantically for the words to express his anger, finally choosing to down the entire glass of wine he had just poured for himself.

Once Sumoto finally managed to pick himself up off the ground, Ashi ran over to help peel Jack out of the life-size imprint he had left behind. Still groggy, she helped him to his knees as he stood up. "Jack! I was so worried! Are you okay!?"

"A little…flatter," he winced, straightening out his spine, "But I'll live." Ashi then hugged him just a little too hard, but he didn't mind the pain and reciprocated regardless.

Suddenly, the large scoreboard caught their attention, as the next tier lit up worth five thousand dollars. Jack and Ashi were slightly discouraged by how little they had amassed so far, despite their efforts. Still, they had no intention of quitting, and were willing to face whatever trials lie ahead in the coming challenges.

"Well, folks, we're going to take another quick break to give out contenders time to recover," Baron explained somewhat hastily, then signed off with a "Stay tuned!"

/

An hour later, and one last commercial break stood between the contenders and the final challenge. Jack and Ashi fought hard to reach this point, overcoming six more challenges and champions along the way, switching off for each.

Jack trounced Torto in "Boulderdash", where the contestant had to race across a narrow bridge with wrecking balls being swung back and forth to knock them off.

Ashi sniped Mr. Roboto in "Hide, Seek, and Destroy", a game in which she had to avoid the champion firing down at her atop a turret, and amass pieces of a weapon she could use to retaliate.

Jack out played Reptor in "Hang in There, Baby!" which involved avoiding the champion while traversing an array of gymnastics rings to score points.

Ashi outraced Myotis in "Skyrail", a race involving special hand cranks attached to a hanging rail system. The harder you cranked, the faster you went.

Jack slaughtered Ghaneesh in "Volley Brawl", a tennis-like game where the object was to strike the opponent with a ball launched by a large, slim paddle.

And finally, Ashi embarrassed Gordo further in a game of "Rock N' Rumble", a grappling match on a hanging platform suspended over the water.

Through their trials, not only had Jack and Ashi won the hearts of the crowd and the viewers, they had also amassed the second highest possible winnings, five hundred thousand dollars. Few had ever reached this point, and all of them ended up with their winnings halved by failing the final challenge, an obstacle course known as "The Executioner".

The infamous course spanned the entire arena floor, beginning at one corner and circling inward towards a center tower reaching up to the coveted briefcase. Contestants had six minutes to complete the entire course, which seemed like a manageable feat at first glance, but two factors made it nearly impossible: the obstacles were constantly updated, switched out, and rearranged to sabotage any preparation, and the contestants were already exhausted from the nine challenges prior. No one knew exactly how the obstacles were chosen, but there were rumors of a secret committee that watched every challenge live, and formulated the perfect foil course based on contestants' strengths and weaknesses.

Back in their green room during the commercial, Jack and Ashi were feeling the fatigue. Jack was leaning his elbows on his knees and breathing deeply, while Ashi fanned herself off, her hair still in a ponytail after her last solo challenge. They had been switching off with Jack's hair tie throughout the last six challenges, since Ashi's hair was starting to stick to her face.

As Ashi removed the hair tie one last time, Jack spoke up. "This has actually been quite grueling," he admitted.

"Yes, we've had a few too many close calls," Ashi agreed reluctantly, then tried to turn it around, "But we're so close now, we've come so far! It's not going to be easy, but you and I are going to see this through to the end," she assured, handing over the hair tie with a smile.

Jack looked up from his shoegazing and met her eyes, changing his expression to match her confidence. "You're right, we can do this," instead of accepting the hair tie, he put his hand over hers and gently pushed it down, not breaking eye contact, "Together."

After a few moments, the stagehand came in to break the silence. "Commercial's over, you're on!" he urged. Jack and Ashi nodded, and followed him to their places.

They emerged from the southeast vomitorium, upon an elevated column in the corner of the obstacle course. Just ahead on a wide balcony was a set of zipline's, which would take them to the first obstacle. Spotlights encircled them as the crowd celebrated their arrival, and Baron's voice came up over the loud speakers shortly after.

"Well, folks, it all comes down to this! Our contenders have, against all odds, bested every one of our champions in each challenge they faced, and have reached the highest tier on our prize board! Never before has a team of contenders succeeded quite so thoroughly. Truly, this is a momentous occasion," Baron's theatrical enthusiasm belied a hollow praise. Aside from AKu's bribery, the host was already banking on Jack and Ashi failing, as so many other contestants had before, but they proved to be peerless among the so-called champions at his employ. The Dome of Doom's biggest draw was its reputation for being unforgivingly harsh to even the most skilled athletes. The viewers got their kicks from seeing competitors fail, so even one contender having a flawless run would be damaging to the show's popularity. "The Executioner", with its own unbeatable record, was his last hope of preserving this accolade. Baron continued his diatribe, "BUT! It is time for them to go head-to-head with the Dome itself!

Meanwhile, AKu was more than a little intoxicated, now swigging the wine straight from the bottle. Eager to see his nemeses defeated, each of the previous challenges was more disappointing than the last, and he hoped the red wine would remedy that. "Boooo!" he slurred, swinging the bottle dismissively.

Scaramouche, who was back to absentmindedly scrolling through his phone, responded with a slight "Hm" without even looking up.

"Before we begin," Baron chimed in again, "Let's see if our contestants have any final thoughts before this last, _merciless_ trial. Dutch?"

The co-host swooped in beside Jack and Ashi on his platform, along with his camera companion. "Well, Jack, Ashi, it all comes down to this! One more victory stands between you and the grand prize, and a special place in Dome history! Do you have anything to say before tackling the Finisher?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Nope," Jack and Ashi responded in unison, not looking up from their intense glaring at the trial ahead.

"Oh…" Dutch responded, slightly surprised, but quickly returned to his cheerful showbiz demeanor, "Well, best of luck!"

Jack and Ashi got into a ready stance, as the referee began a countdown.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"GO!" the referee shouted one last time. The two contenders darted forward and latched onto their respective ziplines, zooming down to tackle the Finisher.

The first obstacle was traversing a teetering balance beam. They stepped on from the one side, walked carefully up the incline, and braced themselves as the beam tipped over before making it across. Next, a set of gymnastics rings hanging over a pit, which Jack and Ashi used to quickly clear the gap.

Around the first corner was a large wall, with two ropes hanging off the side. Naturally, they each grabbed one of the ropes and scaled the impressive wall, side by side. Up ahead was another wall of identical height, but this one had no ropes attached, and was separated from the first wall by the pool of water which was too long to leap across. There was, however, a large gap underneath the wall in the water. Jack and Ashi quickly caught on, diving into the pool below and swimming underneath the barrier, then climbing up onto a corner platform on the other side.

Up next was an array of small circular pillars, each one able to accommodate only one foot at a time. Carefully, Jack and Ashi stepped onto the stepping stones, and were surprised to see the ones up ahead begin to rise and fall at seemingly random intervals. Regardless, they pushed onwards, maintaining their balance amidst the abrupt movement of the pillars, and only once or twice did one of them have reach out and help the other keep balance.

Once that was cleared, the couple had to run along a slanted wall rounding the last corner to reach the final obstacle before the center tower: a long and slightly narrow treading moving in the opposing direction, with slim gaps at both ends. Hurdles arose from the further end and hurried towards the contenders, falling into the gap at the starting end and cycling back to come back up again. Additionally, several turrets lined the walkway, each one armed with a supply of sizeable BUFFER projectiles, and manned by one of the champions, eager to get another shot at the contenders. Jack and Ashi sprung ahead to tackle the obstacle, leaping every hurdle, dodging every projectile shot at them, and eventually they reached the other side.

The rectangular center tower was topped by a three-layer ziggurat, with the highest peak reaching the grand prize suitcase, but there was no visible way to scale the structure. The only noticeable thing was a large indent in the wall facing them, which stretched all the way up to the top, but had no visible means of climbing.

The couple analyzed the obstacle, unsure at first how to approach it without some sort of ladder. Ashi wandered into the space, put her hand against the side and looked up. Jack followed suit shortly after, and they stayed like this for a few moments before the same realization popped into their heads. Standing inside the space, back to back, they hooked onto each other's elbows and pushed as they brought their legs against the walls, and began walking up by pressing against each other.

Since it was so rare that the contenders got this far into the Finisher, the audience was not familiar with this final obstacle. No one had any idea how to climb the tower, so seeing Jack and Ashi figure it drove them wild. The effort was exhaustive for the contenders at this point, but the crowd cheered them on the entire time, allowing them to push through.

Though it felt much longer for Jack and Ashi, the climb was short, and as soon as they breached the top of the tower, they took a moment to catch their breath. Just then, they looked up to see the coveted briefcase of money hanging just above their heads. Their faces lit up, and they cleared the final two hurdles to stand at the highest peak above the stage and grasp the case from both sides, setting off the final and most extravagant victory siren.

Baron shrieked into the microphone in pure sorrow, which he attempted to play off as unbridled celebration, "THEY'VE DONE IT, THEY'VE CONQUERED THE DOME OF DOOM! AAAAUUGGGHHH HUH HUH HUH HUHHHH, I'M S-SO H-HAPPY FOR THEM…" he sobbed, lamenting the loss of his show's glorious record.

Meanwhile, the crowd cheered and applauded the couple with excitement and enthusiasm. Usually elated to see contenders fail, Jack and Ashi had won the fickle crowd over with their skill and sportsmanship, and they now celebrated the first victory they had ever seen over the Dome.

"YYYES! WAY TO GO, YA TWO! I KNEW YA HAD IT IN YA!" Scotsman roared proudly seeing his friends succeed, inviting Wolf to join in on the excitement with a triumphant howl.

Dutch then swooped in on his platform, genuinely happy to see contestants win for once. He paused to wait for the celebration to die down a bit, then cut in on the celebration. "Jack! Ashi! You two are the first challengers in the history of the Dome to win _every_ challenge, conquer _every_ champion, and come out of the Finisher with the grand prize of one _million_ dollars! Tell us, how does it feel!?" he asked excitedly, holding the mic out for them to answer.

Ashi detached herself from Jack's side to speak, "Dutch, it feels absolutely—!"

Her thought was interrupted when Jack abruptly snatched the mic from Dutch and stepped in front of them. Looking the camera dead in the eye, he snatched Ashi's waist with his other arm and pulled her in close, then shouted aggressively, "I LOVE THIS WOMAN!" before dropping the microphone and bringing her in for a passionate kiss, practically bending her backwards. Once she got over the initial shock of Jack's assertive action, she eagerly reciprocated.

Dutch merely gawked at the display with wide eyes, and then turned to the camera with the same expression.

AKu, drunk beyond comprehension, saw the kiss and bellowed a wild, "OOOOOOOOOOOOO!" like a studio audience before taking one last big swig of the wine bottle, leaning back so far that his chair fell over. Scaramouche looked up from his phone at the noise and peeked over curiously, then snapped a photo of the drunken mess with a wry grin.

Since Baron was still distraught, Dutch picked up his microphone and took the opportunity to sign off. "Well, that's all the time we have, folks! I'm Dutch Livingston, and that's Baron Von Gilliam," he gestured to the host who was on his hands and knees, pounding on the floor in despair. "We'll see you next time on the one and only…" Dutch paused to invite the crowd to join in, and they did.

"DOME!"

"OF!"

"DOOOOOOOM!"

Watching from a vomitorium, the remaining champions looked upon the contenders with great displeasure before turning and walking away with their scowls.

The camera focused for one last time on Jack and Ashi, still making out atop the tower, and slowly zoomed out as the closing credits started rolling.

/

About a half hour after the show ended, Jack and Ashi were on the way out of the stadium, their briefcase of winnings in tow. They were told to leave through the parking garage, opposite the guest entrance, so that they could avoid the traffic of the departing crowds.

As they discussed where to go for dinner, the sound of footsteps caught their attention. Suddenly, Gordo appeared in front of them from between the parked cars, stopping them in their path.

"Oh, it's you," Jack exclaimed, flashing a friendly smile. "I am sorry we didn't get the chance to speak before our departure, but I would like to say that I enjoyed our bout today. You were indeed a fierce opponent," Jack was about to step forward for a handshake, but stopped as he noticed the other champions emerge, forming a circle around them.

"I don't think he's here to see us off…" Ashi remarked warily.

"Got that right!" Gordo growled, "We're not letting you walk outta here with that case; it belongs to the Dome! Just because you won it in a few silly games doesn't mean we have to let you keep it!"

Standing to his right, the Aqualizer spoke up through his mask. "You may have humiliated each of us individually, but you stand little chance against all of us at once. Your success was a fluke, and now it is time for you to fall like the rest. We shall reclaim the lost dignity of the Dome!" he shouted.

"S'right!" The Claw interjected from behind them, "Yer lacky we lit ya 'ave yer little moment'a glory up there, but naow it's toime fauh tha gloves t' cam off, n' fer aas t' _reelee_ mike ya blade!" he barked, holding up a pair of brass knuckle claws. It was obvious by his wild expression that he'd been waiting a long time for the chance to pull them out.

"And this time…" Gordo spoke up menacingly, cracking his knuckles, "There ain't no rules to protect you…"

The ambush hardly caught the couple off guard. Ashi turned to face the opposite half of the circle as Jack gently placed the briefcase on the ground beside him.

"Very well…" he clenched his fists decisively, then assumed a fighting stance, "However, you should know that you are mistaken…"

Ashi interjected on cue, "Those rules were in place to protect _you_."

The champions stood there menacingly, ready to attack at any moment. Jack and Ashi remained motionless, watching carefully for one of them to make the first move. Silence filled the air; seconds felt like minutes as time slowed to a crawl, the stillness permeating the concrete foundation on which they stood. A single bead of sweat traced the side of Ashi's face and fell to the ground, the drop echoing throughout the garage.

Suddenly, all at once, the circle closed in on them as the champions began their assault. Jack and Ashi were able to intercept the first of the attacks, backs to each other as they diverted punches and repelled the rushing opponents. Finally, they split up to avoid Gordo, the Aqualizer, and Myotis all tackling at once, leaving behind a miniature dogpile.

Jack was then faced with Reptor, Ghaneesh, and the gargantuan Sumoto. Ghaneesh came at him first, swinging at him as though he had six arms, but none of them could penetrate Jack's defenses. The champion then used his fancy arm movements to distract Jack as Reptor snuck up behind him, but it was no use. Jack struck the lizard man in the face with a back fist, then grabbed and flung him into the approaching Sumoto. Jack then intercepted Ghaneesh's next attack, catching his arm and countering with multiple palm strikes before holding him at Reptor, who came hurtling back after bouncing off of Sumoto's stomach and knocking the former back. Ghaneesh and Reptor collided with great force, knocking out both champions.

Meanwhile, Ashi had landed an uppercut right on Torto's chin, followed by a high kick into Mr. Roboto's mask to her left, then dodged a downward swipe from the Claw. He followed up the attack again and again, forcing Ashi back into a concrete support beam. Instead of backing into it, Ashi used it to flip herself over the champion's head as he stabbed with his left claw, driving it into the pillar. Unable to dislodge it from the stone, he slipped his hand out and turned to attack with the right one, only for Ashi to anticipate and catch him with a hard knee to his gut, folding him over. She finished with an elbow to the back of the head, and the Claw was down for the count.

Sumoto recovered from his stagger and ran at Jack, who easily swept the giant's stubby legs, sending him flying onto his stomach. Just then, the dogpile had dispersed and was headed towards him. Jack then used the giant's body as a springboard to leap over their heads, knocking the Aqualizer's and Myotis' heads along the way, the latter knocked out by the hard diving helmet.

Mr. Roboto swung at Ashi, but she dodged and slipped behind him. Wrapped her arms around his waist, she flipped him over with a suplex, denting the helmet and knocking him out. Ashi looked over to see Jack stuck between Gordo and the Aqualizer, playing keep away with the briefcase. After making sure Torto stayed down with a swift kick, she rushed over to help him.

Jack was using the briefcase as a makeshift weapon, switching back and forth between blocking attacks and striking his opponents with it. Before the Aqualizer could attack again, Ashi struck the back of his knee and he collapsed onto them; Jack then thrusted the briefcase behind him to knock the Aqualizer back, and Ashi slammed his helmeted head against the car next to them. The mask being wedged into the freshly dented car kept the unconscious champion sitting up.

Now, only Gordo was left standing. Jack grabbed Ashi's wrist, swung her towards the opponent, and she leaned into the momentum to launch at Gordo like a missile. He was just barely able to duck the flying dropkick, but the champion was now pinned between the two contenders. tried to block himself from both sides but was ultimately overwhelmed by their coordinated attacks. Jack punched Gordo across the face, and Ashi did the same once he spun in her direction, sending him back. A blow to the gut, a kick to the back of the head; they volleyed him back and forth before delivering simultaneous, powerful right hooks, a final climactic strike to the face and back of the head. Gordo spun around clockwise, slowing down by the second rotation, and wobbled groggily in place for several moments. His last act was to throw a sloppy punch at the air in front of himself, knocking himself over.

Suddenly, the towering Sumoto appeared again after finally hoisting himself back onto his feet. After looking to each other in understanding, Jack and Ashi ran straight at their opponent. Still in perfect mirrored synch, they leapt high enough that they almost reached the garage ceiling, before coming down on Sumoto's face with flying jump kicks. The giant toppled over, finally down for good, as Jack and Ashi stuck the landing behind him.

Surrounded by the fallen champions, Jack and Ashi stood up and calmly acknowledged their victory. Aqualizer's mask dislodged itself, and the sound of the metal from the champion's body hitting the concrete echoed in the now silent garage.

Jack picked up the briefcase with his right hand, and took Ashi's with his left, as the couple continued on their way out.

—END CHAPTER—

 **AN: Only five chapters to go. Thanks for sticking with me!**


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